Abstract:
Apparatus  10  for a seat cover  16  that will protect the underlying scat  12  from moisture and dirt having a base layer comprising a moisture impermeable material  28  and a top layer of an absorbent material  24  with strategically placed straps  14  providing means for securing the seat cover to a seat. A pocket  18  is provided for storing wet items.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates generally to covers and, more specifically, to a seat cover that will protect the underlying seat from moisture and dirt having a base layer comprising a moisture impermeable material and a top layer of an absorbent material with strategically placed straps providing means for securing the seat cover to a seat. 
   2. Description of the Prior Art 
   There are other seat covers designed for motor vehicles. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,027,947 issued to Wittcoff on Jan. 14, 1936. 
   Another patent was issued to Nielson on Aug. 2, 1983 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,227. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,511 was issued to Estes, et al. on Sep. 22, 1987 and still yet another was issued on Feb. 9, 1988 to Hunt as U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,814. 
   Another patent was issued to Hinde on Apr. 9, 1991 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,901. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,476 was issued to Horn on Jun. 15, 1999. Another was issued to Campbell on Sep. 28, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,528 and still yet another was issued on Apr. 18, 2000 to Horn as U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,639. 
   Another patent was issued to Stoll on May 30, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,777. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,527 was issued to Toyota, et al. on Jan. 15, 2002. Another was issued to Learning on Dec. 2, 2003 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,735 and still yet another was issued on Jun. 9, 2000 to Melone as Canadian Patent No. CA2,255,388. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2,027,947 
   Inventor: Edward Wittcoff 
   Issued: Jan. 14, 1936 
   A seat cover comprising a section of flexible and pliable material having approximately the same area as the area of the surface to which it is to be applied, a flexible and pliable frame enclosing and attached to the margin of said section, a strip extending longitudinally of and attached to that side of said section that is concealed when the cover is in use, transverse strips attached to said concealed side of the ends of said section and to the ends of said longitudinal strip, a flexible and pliable section attached to each end of said first section and to said transverse strips and said frame and adapted to extend across the ends of the seat member to which said first section is applied, and a transverse stiffener attached to the outer end of each of said last named sections and preventing the same from folding. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,227 
   Inventor: William N. Neilson 
   Issued: Aug. 2, 1983 
   A car seat cover comprised of sheep skin with wool attached thereto and including fitting means making it suitable for universal fitting to a variety of different sizes of car seats and including appropriately located sleeves and fixed attachments for cords resiliently connected thereto to provide holding for the cover on a car seat. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,694,511 
   Inventor: Donna L. Estes 
   Issued: Sep. 22, 1987 
   Disclosed is a versatile article of manufacture for use by persons engaged in recreational activities such as those associated with the beach. The article, typically made of fabric, has a tubular upper half attached to a depending panel equipped with ties or fasteners. The upper end of the tubular portion has a central opening between a pair of corner openings rendering the article selectively usable as a garment for a person wearing a bathing suit, as a protective cover for a vehicle seat while occupied by bathers en route to and from the beach, and as a cover for a beach chair. The tubular portion of the article may be imprinted with designs on both the back and the front sides and worn with either design facing forwardly. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,814 
   Inventor: Evelyn E. Hunt 
   Issued: Feb. 9, 1988 
   A vehicle seat protection device, for protecting a seat having a back, consists of a loose seat cover attached to an elongate member. The elongate member has fixing means for fixing the member in proximity to the upper edge of the seat back. The elongate member also has means for detachably connecting the seat cover thereto. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,901 
   Inventor: Brian Hinde 
   Issued: Apr. 9, 1991 
   A removable cover for a seat, particularly an automobile or other vehicle seat, the seat having a seat portion and a back portion, is made of a pliable material and has a back covering portion, a seat covering portion and, formed on an exterior surface of the cover, a pocket. The back covering portion, seat covering portion and pocket are integral, and the back covering portion and the seat covering portion are receivable in the pocket when the cover is not in use. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,476 
   Inventor: Joachim Horn 
   Issued: Jun. 15, 1999 
   A seat cover is shown for protecting a motor vehicle seat the seat cover being made from an at least double-layered piece of plastic, in particular for the single, use in car workshops, comprising a front layer extending over and protecting the seating and the backrest surface of the seat and a rear layer connected with the front layer by transverse welding and together with the front layer forming a backrest pocket for the reception of at least a part of the backrest and forming a seat pocket for the reception of at least a part of the seat cushion. The rear layer forming part of the seat pocket comprises a protecting strip in U-form formed by a cutout and surrounding the sides of the seat cushion, and the part of the front layer adapted to the gap between the backrest and the seat cushion comprises at both sides a protecting element each to cover the link regions of the seat. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,528 
   Inventor: Kelly K. Campbell 
   Issued: Sep. 28, 1999 
   A seat cover preferably made of washable fabric has flexible foam attachment members and a flexible foam flap and is removably installed on a vehicle&#39;s seat. The basic structure of the seat cover consists of a seat portion and a back portion with a flap portion longitudinally extending between the seat and back portions. The flap portion has one or more deformable pad members affixed to the flap portion for insertion of the flap portion into the seat between the back and the seat cushion of the seat. Two or more strap members extend transversely from the opposite corners of the seat cover and have at least one deformable pad affixed to the end of the strap member for insertion of the end of the strap member between the seat and the car body. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,639 
   Inventor: Joachim Horn 
   Issued: Apr. 18, 2000 
   A temporary seat cover for protecting a motor vehicle seat is made of a majority of layers of plastic film. The motor vehicle seat includes a seat cushion, a backrest, and a gap being located between the seat cushion and the backrest. The seat cover includes a front layer made of plastic film and extending along the seat cushion and the backrest. A rear layer made of plastic film is connected to the front layer by transverse welding seams. A backrest pocket receives at least a portion of the backrest. The backrest pocket is formed by the front layer and the rear layer. A seat pocket for the receives at least a portion of the seat cushion. The seat pocket is formed by the front layer and the rear layer. A strip-shaped extension is connected to one of the layers and it is designed and arranged to be moved through the gap. A glue film is arranged on the strip-shaped extension and it is covered by a removable cover strip. The cover strip is removed prior to connecting the strip-shaped extension to a portion of the cover seat or directly to the motor vehicle seat. A sealing effect preventing undesired manipulation of the seat cover and the seat is attained. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,777 
   Inventor: Dieter Stoll 
   Issued: May 30, 2000 
   A protective wrapping for a vehicle seat includes a separate protective wrapping for the backrest cushion and a separate protective wrapping for the seat cushion. The backrest cushion wrapping includes a protective bag that loosely encloses the backrest cushion from above on all sides the backrest cushion to the level of the seat surface. By means of a closing tongue that reaches around the backrest underside from the front to the rear, the protective bag is fixed on the backrest cushion. The seat cushion wrapping includes a protective hood that encloses the seat cushion from above on all sides. The sides are gathered in a circular manner, particularly shrunk, below the seat cushion, so that the seat cushion wrapping rests under pre-stress laterally on the seat cushion. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,527 
   Inventor: David K. Toyota, et al. 
   Issued: Jan. 15, 2000 
   A headrest secured seat cover for vehicles having side-impact airbags mounted within the sides of the seat. The cover comprises a bottom and middle portion attachable to the seat cushion. A top portion of the seat cover is attachable to the seat headrest. In order to attach the seat cover to the headrest, the seat cover includes at least one elastic strap attached to the top portion of the cover and configured to attach the top portion of the cover to mounting bars of the headrest. The seat cover further includes a stiffening member disposed about a periphery of the top portion of the seat cover. The stiffening member supports the top portion of the seat cover such that the seat cover will be contourable to the shape of the vehicle seat and remain in place. Since the seat cover is attached to the headrest, the sides of the seat are unobstructed for proper airbag inflation. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,735 
   Inventor: Thomas W. Learning 
   Issued: Dec. 2, 2003 
   A non-absorbing protective seat cover having a seat portion and a back portion, comprising a water-impermeable and gas-permeable layer laminated to a non-absorbent non-woven layer, whereby the non-absorbing protective cover resists absorption of liquid contaminates from the user, hydrophobically repels liquid contaminants introduced thereto and protects the vehicle seat from damage. 
   Canadian Patent Number CA2,255,388 
   Inventor: Francis Melone 
   Issued: Jun. 9, 2000 
   A cover for the seat back and head rest of a motor vehicle having bucket seats is designed with the look and feel of a typical hooded sweatshirt. Features such as a “hood”, “hand warmer” type pockets and a stretchable waistband enhance the illusion. The cover uses typical sweatshirt materials which have a variety of desirable characteristics. or example, a cotton facing with cotton fleece lining is hypo allergenic and has the desirable combination of stretch and absorbency. The cover also provides a venue for the display of popular logos, such as sports team names or college names in an automobile. The cover is easy to remove and install. Moreover, a “hand warmer” pocket is provided in the lumbar region in the seat back front, which may be stuffed with soft material to enhance comfort and lumbar support. Other pockets may be provided on a back side for maps or other items which may be conveniently stored within. 
   While these coverings may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described. 
   SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
   The present invention discloses a seat cover that will protect the underlying scat from moisture and dirt having a base layer comprising a moisture impermeable material and a top layer of an absorbent material with strategically placed straps providing means for securing the seat cover to a seat. A pocket is provided for storing wet items. 
   A primary object of the present invention is to provide a seat cover that will protect the underlying seat from moisture and dirt. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a seat cover having a base layer comprising a moisture impermeable material. 
   Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a seat cover having a top layer of an absorbent material. 
   Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a seat cover with strategically placed straps providing means for securing the seat cover to a seat. 
   Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds. 
   The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a seat cover that will protect the underlying seat from moisture and dirt having a base layer comprising a moisture impermeable material and a top layer of an absorbent material with strategically placed straps providing means for securing the seat cover to a seat. 
   The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration-specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawings, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 
   The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an illustrative view of the present invention in use. 
       FIG. 2  is an illustrative view of the present invention in use on a bucket type seat. 
       FIG. 3  is an illustrative view of the present invention in use on a bench type seat. 
       FIG. 4  is an illustrative view of the rear portion of the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a frontal view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 6  is a rear view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the present invention. 
   

   LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 
   With regard to reference numerals used, the following numbering is used throughout the drawings.
           10  present invention     12  seat     14  straps     16  cover     18  pocket     20  user     22  bathing suit     24  absorbent layer     26  decorative design     28  waterproof layer     30  fabric     32  tie     34  front surface     36  rear surface     38  top end     40  front edge       

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention (and several variations of that embodiment). This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments since practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well. For a definition of the complete scope of the invention, the reader is directed to the appended claims. 
   Turning to  FIG. 1 , shown therein is an illustrative view of the present invention  10  in use. The present invention  10  discloses a beach towel car seat cover comprising a moisture impermeable material layer and an absorbent material layer wherein the seat cover prevents moisture from wicking around the edge of the seat cover. The device  10  is secured to a seat  12  by means of a plurality of tie straps  14 . A pocket is provided for storage of wet items. 
   Turning to  FIG. 2 , shown therein is an illustrative view of the present invention  10  in use on a bucket type seat  12 . Shown is the present invention  10  disclosing a beach towel car seat cover  16  comprising a moisture impermeable material layer and an absorbent material layer wherein the seat cover prevents moisture from wicking around the edge of the seat cover. The device  10  is secured around the edges of and to a seat  12  by means of a plurality of ties  32  of the ends of multiple spaced apart straps  14  on the edges of the cover  16 . A pocket  18  is provided for storage of wet items. Also shown are a user  20  wearing a wet bathing suit  22 . Seat  12  has a seat back with front and rear surfaces  34 ,  36  and a top end  38  and the seating surface of the seat has a front edge  40 . Cover  16  may have a substantially rectangular shape. 
   Turning to  FIG. 3 , shown therein  3  is an illustrative view of the present invention  10  in use on a bench type seat  12 . Shown is the present invention disclosing a beach towel car seat cover  16  comprising a moisture impermeable material layer and an absorbent material layer wherein the seat cover prevents moisture from wicking around the edge of the seat cover. The device  10  is secured to a seat  12  by means of a plurality of tie  32  straps  14 . A pocket  18  is provided for storage of wet items. Also shown is a user  20  with a wet bathing suit  22 . 
   Turning to  FIG. 4 , shown therein is an illustrative view of the rear portion of the present invention  10 . Shown is the present invention  10  disclosing a beach towel car seat cover  16  comprising a moisture impermeable material layer and an absorbent material layer, wherein the seat cover  16  prevents moisture from wicking around the edge of the seat cover. The device  10  is secured to a seat by means of a plurality of tie  32  straps  14 . A pocket  18  is provided for storage of wet items. Also shown is user  20 . 
   Turning to  FIG. 5 , shown therein is a frontal view of the present invention  10 . Shown is a frontal view of the present invention  10  disclosing a beach towel car seat cover  16  comprising a moisture impermeable material layer and an absorbent material layer  24  wherein the seat cover  16  prevents moisture from wicking around the edge of the seat cover. The device  10  can be made in decorative designs  26  and is secured to a seat by means of a plurality of tie straps  14 . A pocket  18  is provided for storage of wet items. 
   Turning to  FIG. 6 , shown therein is a rear view of the present invention  10 . Shown is a rear view of the present invention  10  disclosing a beach towel car seat cover  16  comprising a moisture impermeable material layer  28  which may comprise vinyl and an absorbent material layer, wherein the seat cover  16  prevents moisture from wicking around the edge of the seat cover. The device  10  is secured to a seat by means of a plurality of tie straps  14 . A pocket is provided for storage of wet items. 
   Turning to  FIG. 7 , shown therein is a sectional view of the present invention  10 . Shown is a sectional view of the present invention  10  disclosing a beach towel car seat cover  16  front or top fabric  30  comprising a bottom moisture impermeable material layer  28  and an absorbent material layer  24 , wherein the seat cover prevents moisture from wicking around the edge of the seat cover. The device  10  is secured to a seat by means of a plurality of tie straps. A pocket is provided for storage of wet items. 
   Turning to  FIG. 8 , shown therein is a perspective view of the present invention  10 . Shown is a perspective view of the present invention  10  disclosing a beach towel car seat cover  16  made of fabric  30  comprising a moisture impermeable material layer  28  and an absorbent material layer  24 , wherein the seat cover prevents moisture from wicking around the edge of the seat cover. The device  10  is secured to a seat by means of a plurality of tie straps. A pocket is provided for storage of wet items. 
   Turning to  FIG. 9 , shown therein is a perspective view of the present invention  10 . Shown is a perspective view of the present invention  10  disclosing a beach towel car seat cover  16  comprising a moisture impermeable material layer  28  and an absorbent material layer  24  wherein the seat cover prevents moisture from wicking around the edge of the seat cover. The device  10  is secured to a seat by means of a plurality of tie straps  14  which are tied at  32 . A pocket  10  is provided for storage of wet items.