DISPOSABLE HIGH CHAIR COVER

Abstract

A disposable highchair cover pulled over a highchair for protecting a child from germs and grime is disclosed. The disposable highchair cover comprises a housing having at least one panel with at least one layer. The panels are heat sealed to form a continuous portion. An adhesive strip with a removable sticker is secured to a bottom of the central portion. The removable sticker is peeled away from the adhesive strip to fix the adhesive strip to the high chair. A plurality of apertures is conformed to receive a pair of legs of a child and a pair of slits is adapted to accommodate a seat belt of a highchair. The housing is positioned in the highchair thereby defining a central portion conformed to a seating surface of the highchair and the panels are folded partially outward from the highchair.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to highchair covers, and more particularly to a disposable highchair cover that protects a child from germs and grime.

DISCUSSION OF RELATED ART

When families with infants and toddlers visit restaurants for dining, it is often desirable to have devices like highchairs, booster chairs or infant seats for babies. When such devices are in use, parents feel free since the small children are secured and a stay in one place when the family is having food. However, generally, these devices are not washed or disinfected regularly between uses. Although restaurants and other food service facilities take some measures to clean the highchair, it is challenging to keep it hygienic before each use, because of the repeated and frequent use of these devices. Thus, it is desirable to cover the chair in such a way that any portion of it will not come into contact with the child. This will put the parents' mind at ease.

Various highchair covers have been devised for improving the protection of child from germs and grime. These highchair covers are usually made from plastic, nylon, cotton or pliable material. However, these conventional systems have considerable drawbacks, that they are not always clean because of the repeated use.

One prior art device, taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,207 to Quartano on May 19, 1987 discloses a child shopping cart cushion comprising a seat back portion and a chest portion that is made of a flexible material configured conveniently to be removed and refitted to the cart seat. Such a device provides minimal support to infant for positioning the infant in upright position. Thus, the infant would have a tendency to slide down in the seat or to lean sideways due to the lack of lateral support provided by nylon restraining straps or may fall forward due to the low position of the straps.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,250 to Reyes on Jul. 19, 1994 provides a liner for shopping cart child seat that features a padded backrest and a seat cushion with a seat belt restraining system. However, the shopping cart handle bar and child's legs would remain uncovered thereby posing a risk that the infant may come in direct contact with germs resulting from recurred use by public.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,565 to Rieder on Nov. 7, 2000 describes an infant chair liner designed to use in several types of chairs like highchairs, strollers, car seats, etc. The liner comprises a one-piece armrest and backrest component that has a washable fabric cover held on by a zipper. However, the user must unzip and remove the cover to wash it and then place it back on the liner. Since the cover with zippers is made of plastic and rubber, it cannot be disposed in an eco-friendly method.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,098 to Allbaugh on Aug. 6, 2002 discloses a one-piece, flexible liner for a highchair. The liner has a bulky appearance and offers no protection for the infant from direct contact with the abutting chair since the liner does not cover the lap areas of the child. U.S. Pat. No. 6,929,326 to Cohen on Aug. 16, 2005 discloses a clean diner highchair seat cover. Such a device requires an additional manual endorse for tying the flaps after the cover being pulled over the chair. Such a seat cover does not include a continuous portion and the seat cover is non-disposable.

Therefore, there is a need for an improved highchair cover that would be disposable, foldable, portable and economical. Further, such a device would be adaptable to receive and protect a child from germs and grime and easy to put on a highchair. Such a needed device would have at least one layer that provide comfort to the child and would not penetrate the dripped food and liquids. Moreover, such a device would have a continuous portion that completely covers an entire seat and the device would be made from a slip resistant material or an adhesive strip that would avoid slipping while placing in or taking out child. The present invention accomplishes these objectives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present device is a disposable highchair cover pulled over a highchair for protecting a child from germs and grime. The disposable cover for a highchair comprises a housing having at least one panel with at least one layer. Preferably, the at least one panel of the housing includes a front panel, a rear panel, and opposing side panels. The panels are heat sealed to form a continuous portion. At least one layer further includes a top layer and a bottom layer. The disposable highchair includes an adhesive strip with a removable sticker that is secured to a bottom of the central portion. The removable sticker is peeled away from the adhesive strip to fix the adhesive strip to the high chair. The adhesive strip avoids the slippage of the seating area or the central portion when the child placed in the highchair.

A disposable highchair cover further includes a plurality of apertures arranged to a lower edge of the front panel. The plurality of apertures is adapted to receive a pair of legs of the child that provides a comfortable seating. The plurality of apertures is exactly two. A pair of slits is located to a lower edge of a rear panel proximate vertical joint thereof. The pair of slits is adapted to accommodate a seat belt of the highchair. The housing is positioned in the highchair thereby defining a central portion conformed to a seating surface of the highchair and the panels are folded partially outward from the highchair.

The present invention facilitates the easy disposal in an eco-friendly manner. Further, such a device is adaptable to receive and protect a child from germs and grime and easy to put on a highchair. Such a needed device may have at least one layer that provides comfort to the child and would not penetrate the dripped food and liquids. Moreover, such a device may have a continuous portion that completely covers an entire seat and the device would have made from a slip resistant material or an adhesive strip that would avoid material slipping while placing in or taking out child. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention when in use;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention, illustrating a plurality of apertures and a pair of slits;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the invention, illustrating a seat belt pulled through a pair of slits;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the invention wherein a plurality of panels are segregated; and

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the invention, illustrating at least one panel having a pair of slits and a plurality of apertures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a disposable highchair cover 10 pulled over a highchair 30 for protecting a child 20 away from the germs and grime (not shown). The disposable highchair cover 10 comprises a housing 40 having at least one panel 41 with at least one layer 42. Preferably, the at least one panel 41 of the housing 40 includes a front panel 43, a rear panel 44, and opposing side panels 45, 46. The panels 43, 44, 45, 46 are heat sealed to form a continuous portion. At least one layer 42 further includes a top layer 47 and a bottom layer (not shown). The top layer 47 is laminated with the bottom layer (not shown).

The top layer 47 is made of a non-woven fabric. The bottom layer (not shown) is made of a thin plastic film. The non woven fabric includes a spun bond made from polypropylene and the thin plastic film from polyethylene. The spunbond layer is a soft fabric that provides comfort to the child and non-absorbent to dripped food or liquids. The thin plastic film makes the cover strong and not penetrates the food or liquids. The thin plastic film may be rendered in one of a plurality of colors and thicknesses. The top layer 47 is formed with materials like cellulose tissue sheets, rayon, woven fabrics and non-woven fabrics, or plastic film, for example. The bottom layer (not shown) is made with materials like non-treated spun bond, woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics blends of different resins, films of copolymers of different resins, polypropylene film, and polybutylene film, ethylene/vinyl-acetate copolymer, polyvinyl chloride or polyvinylidine chloride, for example.

Referring to FIG. 2 a perspective view of a disposable highchair cover 10 includes a plurality of apertures 70 arranged to a lower edge 72 of the front panel 43. The plurality of apertures 70 is adapted to receive a pair of legs 22 of a child 20 that allows a comfort seating. A pair of slits 60 is located to a lower edge 62 of a rear panel 44 proximate vertical joint thereof. The housing 40 is positioned in the highchair 30 thereby defining a central portion 50 conformed to a seating surface of the highchair 30 and the panels 43, 44, 45, 46 are folded partially outward from the highchair 30. The disposable highchair 10 further includes an adhesive strip (not shown) with a removable sticker (not shown) is secured to a bottom (not shown) of the central portion 50. The removable sticker (not shown) is peeled away from the adhesive strip (not shown) to fix the adhesive strip (not shown) to the high chair 30. The adhesive strip (not shown) avoids the slippage of the seating area or the central portion 50 when the child 20 placed in the highchair 30. The plurality of apertures 70 is exactly two.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a disposable highchair cover 10. A pair of slits 60 is adapted to accommodate a seat belt 32 of a highchair 30. The seat belt 32 ensures the safety and comfort sitting of a child 20.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a disposable highchair cover 10 that segregated into a front panel 43, a rear panel 44, and opposing side panels 45, 46. Each panel is heat sealed to form a continuous portion. The mass production of the panels can be done through a machine wherein the panels are cut to desired shape and heat sealed to form a continuous flat portion. The at least one panel 41 includes a pair of slits 60 to accommodate a seat belt 32 of the highchair 30 and a plurality of apertures 70 adapted to receive a pair of legs 22 of a child 20.

FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a highchair cover 10 wherein a housing 40 includes at least one panel 41 having a top layer 47 and a bottom layer (not shown). The at least one panel 41 may be cut to precisely desired shape to form a continuous portion defining a central portion 50 conformed to a seating surface of the highchair 30 when the housing 40 is positioned in the highchair 30. The at least one panel 41 includes a pair of slits 60 to accommodate a seat belt 32 of the highchair 30 and a plurality of apertures 70 adapted to receive a pair of legs 22 of a child 20. The highchair cover 10 provides a compact, folded storage configuration when the cover 10 is not in use.

In another embodiment of a disposable highchair cover 10 includes an elastic means having two ends. One end of the elastic means is fixed to a lower edge of one of opposing side panels 44, 45 and another end having an adhesive member. An adhesive strip is fixed to a lower edge of the bottom layer of another one of opposing side panels 44, 45. The elastic means is pulled underneath the base of highchair 30 and fixed to an adhesive strip using the adhesive member to retain the disposable highchair cover 10. The adhesive strip and the adhesive member are selected from a group consisting of hook and loop fasteners, mating snap fasteners, mating holes having buttons, buckle and tie or the like. In another embodiment of a disposable highchair cover 10 an elastic means may be fixed along the lower edge of the housing and pulled the cover 10 over the highchair 30 to put stay the cover 10 in place.

While a particular form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, a housing 40 may be made by variations in size, materials, shape, form, and a cover 10 may be secured to a highchair 30 by means of various attachments. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A disposable cover for a highchair comprising:

a housing having at least one panel with at least one layer;

a central portion formed when the housing positioned in the highchair being conformed to a seating surface of the highchair;

an adhesive strip having a removable sticker secured to a bottom of the central portion;

a pair of slits on at least one panel; and

a plurality of apertures on at least one panel;

whereby the housing pulled over the highchair is adapted to receive a child for keeping away from germs and grime.

2. The highchair cover of claim 1 wherein the at least one panel of the housing comprises a front panel, a rear panel and opposing side panels, each panel being heat sealed to form a continuous portion.

3. The highchair cover of claim 1 wherein the removable sticker is peeled away from the adhesive strip and fixed to the highchair to avoid slippage.

4. The highchair cover of claim 1 wherein the pair of slits is arranged to a lower edge of the rear panel, each slit being proximate a vertical joint thereof.

5. The highchair cover of claim 1 wherein the pair of slits accommodate a seat belt of the highchair.

6. The highchair cover of claim 1 wherein the plurality of apertures is arranged to a lower edge of the front panel.

7. The highchair cover of claim 1 wherein the plurality of apertures is adapted to receive a pair of legs of the child.

8. The highchair cover of claim 1 wherein the at least one layer may further include a top layer and a bottom layer.

9. The highchair cover of claim 8 wherein the top layer is laminated with the bottom layer.

10. The highchair cover of claim 8 wherein the top layer is made of a non-woven fabric.

11. The highchair cover of claim 8 wherein the bottom layer is made of a thin plastic film.

12. The highchair cover of claim 10 wherein the non woven fabric includes a spun bond made from polypropylene.

13. The highchair cover of claim 12 wherein the spun bond is a non-absorbent.

14. The highchair cover of claim 11 wherein the thin plastic film is made from polyethylene.

15. The highchair cover of claim 11 wherein the thin plastic film may be rendered in one of a plurality of colors and thicknesses.

16. The highchair cover of claim 8 wherein the top layer is integrally formed of a material taken from the following set of materials: cellulose tissue sheets, rayon, woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics or plastic film.

17. The high chair cover of claim 8 wherein the bottom layer is integrally formed of a material taken from the following set of materials: non-treated spun bond, woven fabrics, non-woven fabrics, blends of different resins, films of copolymers of different resins, polypropylene film, polybutylene film, ethylene/vinyl-acetate copolymer, polyvinyl chloride or polyvinylidine chloride.

18. The highchair cover of claim 1 wherein the plurality of apertures is exactly two.

19. A method for keeping a child away from the germs and grime, comprising:

a. providing a housing including at least one panel;

b. peeling a removable sticker from an adhesive strip on a bottom of the central portion;

c. positioning the housing over a highchair defining a central portion being conformed to a seating surface of the highchair;

d. fixing the adhesive strip to the seating surface of the highchair;

e. folding the panel partially outward from the highchair;

f. placing the child within the housing by putting a pair of legs through a plurality of apertures; and

g. pulling a seat belt of the highchair through a pair of slits for securing the child.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein steps e) and f) can be interchangeable.