Adjustable chair cover

Abstract

The applicant describes a two-piece adjustable chair cover that is easy to install and has a tailored appearance. The chair cover protects chairs from staining and other damage and includes a back cover and a seat cover. The back cover and seat cover connect to one another via first adjustable fasteners. The back cover slides onto the chair back and includes a lower portion that lies on the top of the chair bottom. The seat cover is tightly wrapped over the lower portion of the back cover and around the chair bottom and is secured to the chair bottom and the back cover via adjustable fasteners. The chair cover can be durable fabric or disposable material such as paper and/or plastic. The chair cover may also be lined by or fused with water-repellant or waterproof material to aid in the protection of the covered chair.

Description

I. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/097,547, filed Apr. 1, 2005, and which is incorporated in its entirety into this application by this reference.

II. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention generally relates to protective and decorative chair cover devices, specifically those for dining chairs. During the feeding of infants, young children, the elderly or those disabled persons who have feeding difficulty, messes are more likely to occur. Previously, parents, caregivers and even caterers sought to protect dining chairs from soiling by various means:

For home use, a person may utilize a form-fitting cover tailored to the precise dimensions of the chair and referred to in the trade as “slipcovers.” Although they are very attractive in appearance, the expense is prohibitive for most people and special cleaning requirements make them cumbersome and expensive to maintain.

Parents, caregivers and even caterers may utilize chair covers, known as “throws” in the trade (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,049 (1970) to Gerard). These bag-like throws are easily installed and removed. However, they have special washing requirements and therefore cause the caregiver to perform additional work. They are not adjustable. They are likely to be either baggy fitting or too small to be utilized at all. They seriously detract from the stylish appearance of the chair, unless they happen to fit precisely the chair in use. Further, throws are not made of absorbent or impermeable fabric. They do not remain in position on the chair when individuals sit upon them, causing a safety issue for the very young, the elderly and the disabled.

Likewise, some parents and caretakers may cover a chair with a large towel. Although machine washable, and easy to install and remove, towels shift as children or those with disabilities attempt to seat themselves. In addition, such individuals are likely to move about after being seated, causing a safety issue and/or providing inadequate coverage for the chair. Due to inadequate coverage, the parent or caregiver must perform multiple attempts to place the towel and the individual being fed in an advantageous position. Should any shifting occur, as is likely, the parent or caregiver then must clean the chair itself, defeating the towel's purpose. A towel also adversely affects the appearance of the chair while in use.

Several types of protective chair covers for dining chairs have been patented: Most notably, U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,718 (1996) to Neary and U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,709 (2003) to Hetherington. Each suffers from a number of disadvantages:

U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,718 shows a one-piece plastic cover for the seat of a dining chair. However, for reasons of comfort, plastic is not an ideal fabric for seating a young child, an elderly person or a disabled person. In addition, the plastic cover requires hand-wiping, as opposed to those made of machine-washable fabrics or disposable fibers, which are labor-saving. Furthermore, the plastic seat cover does not provide coverage to the back of the chair.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,709 (2003) shows a one-piece machine-pressable chair cover. Intended for catering use with standard-sized chairs only, it is not adjustable to varying-sized chairs. Moreover, a parent or caregiver would not likely favor a machine-pressable chair cover. A low maintenance chair cover is preferable.

Accordingly, a need exists for protective covers for dining chairs that are adjustable, comfortable, easily installed and removed, stationary, tailored in appearance, and labor-saving (e.g., either machine washable and not requiring pressing, or disposable).

III. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The chair covers described in this application have several advantages over prior chair covers. Parents, caregivers and caterers need not clean each and every crevice of the described chair covers after each feeding. The chair covers are adjustable to fit a variety of chairs sizes, enabling persons to purchase a single item and avoid a multiplicity of purchases and returns in a trial-and-error effort to purchase the correct size chair cover. The chair covers can be quickly and easily installed and removed. The chair covers may be made of machine-washable fabric, enabling easy maintenance. The chair covers may be made of cotton fabric, enabling absorption of spilled liquids. The chair covers may be constructed of absorbent fibers (i.e., paper) possessing sufficient integrity that it does not abrade during normal use, ensuring durability, and easy and sanitary disposal. The chair covers may be constructed with one side of a moisture-repellant material, providing sufficient protection to chairs from spills. The chair covers remain substantially secure and in the position in which they are placed, even when a toddler, child, or disabled person moves upon them. The chair covers can be made more inexpensively than fitted slipcovers thereby making it possible for a larger number of people to purchase and own.

In very general terms, the adjustable chair cover, comprises two separate major components, a back cover and a seat cover that are detachably connected to each other when mounted on a chair. The back cover slides onto the back of the chair and includes a lower portion that rests on top of the chair bottom. This lower portion includes a fastener that mates with a complementary fastener on the seat cover. The seat cover wraps around the chair bottom and includes fasteners that permit the user to wrap the seat cover tightly and secure it in the tightly wrapped position on the chair bottom. The back cover optionally includes a pocket for storing small items.

The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and do not restrict the claims directed to the invention. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one embodiment of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

IV. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view from behind of an embodiment of a two-piece adjustable chair cover.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view from behind of the two-piece adjustable chair cover of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating an un-sewn version of the portion of the chair cover shown in FIG. 1 for covering the back of a chair.

FIG. 3A is a partial cross section of the portion of the chair cover taken along the line 3A-3A of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view from behind of the two-piece adjustable chair cover of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view illustrating a version of the portion of the chair cover shown in FIG. 1 for covering the seat of a chair.

FIG. 5A is a partial cross section of the portion of the chair cover taken along the line 5A-5A of FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 shows the seat cover, with the underside surface visible.

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view illustrating a second un-sewn version of the portion of the chair cover shown in FIG. 1 for covering the back of a chair.

V. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This application refers in detail below to the exemplary embodiments of the adjustable chair cover, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the application uses the same reference numbers throughout the drawings to refer to the same or similar items.

One embodiment of the two-piece adjustable chair cover 1 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The adjustable chair cover 1 comprises two separate, but attachable covers; namely back cover 10 and seat cover 100, both preferably made of absorbent fabric. A preferred fabric is 100% cotton, bonded with a water-proof vinyl. However, the fabric can consist of any other absorbent, machine-washable fabric, bonded or lined with any other water-resistant material. Preferably, the fabric is tolerant of repeat machine washing and drying and contains a stain-resistant coating.

As shown in FIG. 3, back cover 10 is constructed from a rectangular piece of fabric 11. Fabric 11 preferably has an absorbent surface 14a and a water-resistant surface 14b on the other side (shown in FIG. 3A). Fabric piece 11 includes three primary portions, an upper posterior portion 13a, an upper anterior portion 13b, and a lower portion 13c. Upper posterior portion 13a and upper anterior portion 13b are of approximately equal size and together comprise the portion of fabric piece 11 that is above fold line 16. Several strips 110a of loop material (complementary to the hook material in a hook-and-loop fastener combination) are attached to surface 14a of fabric piece 11. In FIG. 3, strips 110a are shown as parallel to each other and the bottom edge of fabric piece 11. A preferred alternative arrangement for strips 110a is shown in FIG. 7 in which two strips 110a are arranged parallel to each other and substantially perpendicular to the bottom edge of fabric piece 11. A pocket 17 attached to surface 14a in upper posterior portion 13a of fabric piece 11 is also shown in FIG. 7. When seat back cover 10 is mounted on a chair back, the pocket 17 may be used to hold small items in a convenient location. The opening of pocket 17 may be sealable using hook-and-loop material, adhesive strips, or any other suitable fastener. Preferred dimensions for fabric piece 11 to fit a variety of typical chair sizes are approximately 16-21 inches wide by 35-44 inches long.

Back cover 10 is created by folding fabric piece 11 at fold line 15 so that fabric surface 14a of upper posterior portion 13a and upper anterior portion 13b contact each other. When folded in this way, the lateral edges 12a and 12b of fabric piece 11 are sewn together and the resulting pocket is turned inside out to form a new pocket with the absorbent surface 14a exposed and the water-resistant surface 14b is on the inside. To install back cover 10 on a chair, a user inserts the back of the chair into the pocket that is formed between upper posterior portion 13a and upper anterior portion 13b of sewn fabric 11. When placed on a chair in this manner, fabric 11 naturally folds approximately along fold line 16 and lower portion 13c of fabric 11 rests on the seat of the chair.

Strips 110a serve as part of an adjustable fastener used to secure back cover 10 to seat cover 100. The complementary portion of this hook-and-loop fastener is hook strip 110b (FIG. 6). The hook-and-loop fastener formed by the combination of loop strips 110a and hook strip 110b is adjustable because of the plurality of loop strips 110a. This adjustability feature permits back cover 10 to accommodate chair backs of a variety of heights. For a chair having a relatively high back some of loop strips 110a may be exposed (i.e., not covered by seat cover 100) when back cover 10 and seat cover 100 are installed on the chair. To avoid irritating an individual's skin when leaning back in such a chair, strips 110a are preferably loop material rather than hook material. Using hook material on back cover 10 and loop material on seat cover 100 is possible, however. Other alternatives to the hook-and-loop fastener described above include at least buttons and snaps.

Seat cover 100 is illustrated in FIG. 5 with surface 101a exposed and in FIG. 6 with surface 101b exposed. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, fabric piece 101 is preferably a rectangular shape with the two front corners of the rectangle cut off. Preferred dimensions for fabric piece 101 to fit a variety of typical chair sizes are approximately 39-49 inches wide by 18-24 inches deep with a strap 108 that is about 24-33 inches long. Each of the cut off portions at the front corners of fabric piece 101 remove about 13 inches of the depth and 12 inches of the width of the rectangle. Cutting off the front corners of fabric piece 101 improves the fit and appearance of the seat cover 100 in the region near the front corners of the chair bottom because the seat cover 100 does not bunch up as much at the chair corners. Alternatively, the front corners of fabric piece 101 may be cut in a curve that is either concave or convex with a concave shape preferred. Other types of tailoring could be performed on the corner sections of fabric piece 101 that might further improve the fit of the seat cover 100 on a chair bottom. However, such tailoring is considerably more complex and more sensitive to variations in the sizes of chairs. Therefore, such versions of seat cover 100 would need to be produced in a wider variety of sizes than the preferred seat cover 100 with cut off corners. The front edge 102 and back edge 104 of fabric piece 101 are approximately parallel to each other. Hook fastener 110b is attached to surface 101b of the fabric and is preferably near and approximately parallel to back edge 104. As mentioned above, in the preferred embodiment, hook fastener 110b will consist of a strip of hook designed to mate with corresponding loop of first adjustable fastener 110a. Other alternatives to the hook-and-loop fastener described above include at least buttons and snaps.

Complementary fasteners 112a and 112b are attached to fabric piece 101. Fastener 112a is attached to the surface of tab portion 106a (FIG. 5), and fastener 112b is attached to the surface of tab portion 106b (FIG. 6). Fasteners 112a and 112b preferably consist of hook and loop fasteners, respectively. However, which of fasteners 112a and 112b is a hook fastener and which is a loop fastener is not critical. The primary advantage of utilizing the hook-and-loop closures depicted as fasteners 112a and 112b is to maximize adjustability to fit varying-sized chairs. For example, the two complementary fasteners 112a and 112b will still mate even if the lateral edges of the seat bottom to which seat cover 100 is applied are not parallel. Another advantage is to enhance security of the seat cover 100 to said chair. These features of fasteners 112a and 112b are important because many chairs have seat bottoms that are narrower at the rear than at the front. When configured as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, seat cover 100 may be wrapped tightly around such a seat bottom and secured tightly with fasteners 112a and 112b. Alternatively, other types of fasteners having varying degrees of adjustability may be utilized.

As shown in FIG. 5, a strap 108 is attached to seat cover 100 and extends from the front edge 102. Another adjustable fastener 114a is attached to surface 108a strap 108. Fastener 114b, which is attached to surface 14b as shown in FIG. 3, is the complementary fastener to fastener 114a. Fastener 114a preferably is a loop material and fastener 114b is preferably a hook material. When fasteners 114a and 114b are mated, they secure the upper posterior portion 13a of back cover 10 to the seat cover 100. Because the lower portion 13c of back cover 10 is also secured to seat cover 100, strap 108 may be pulled to tighten fabric piece 101 around the bottom of the chair so that seat cover 100 fits snugly on the bottom of the chair.

Fastener 114b may alternatively extend substantially the entire length of strap 108. For this configuration, additional complementary fasteners 115a and 115b may be attached to surface 108b of strap 108. For example, a strip of loop material is attached to surface 108b near the distal end of strap 108, and the strip of complementary hook material is attached to surface 108b near the proximal end of strap 108. In this arrangement the strap 108 may be folded to mate the complementary fasteners on surface 108b. When folded in this manner, the effective length of strap 108 is reduced. The capability to reduce the effective length of strap 108 permits back cover 10 and seat cover 100 to be installed on chairs having a wider variety of seatback heights.

The manner of using the two-piece adjustable chair cover 1 is as follows: First, slip the back cover 10 over the back of the chair, much like placing a pillow case over a pillow (FIG. 4). Smooth the lower portion 13c onto the seat of the chair until it lays flat on the seat bottom (FIG. 4) and folds at about line 16 (FIG. 3). In order to attach the seat cover 100 to the back cover 10, center the back edge 104 of seat cover 100 from left to right across the chair. Place fastener 110b face down, matching it with the complementary fastener 110a. Press down until secure. (FIGS. 5 and 6)

In order to secure the seat cover 100 to the chair seat, place fabric piece 101 onto the seat portion of a chair with strap 108 hanging in front of the chair. Reach under the chair, wrap tab portions under the seat bottom of the chair so that it fits the form of the seat bottom as well as possible, and mate the overlapping portions of fasteners 112a and 112b. Pull strap 108 under the chair to pull front edge 102 under the seat bottom and tighten the fabric piece 101 around the seat bottom and mate the overlapping portions of fasteners 114a and 114b.

The adjustable chair cover 1 may alternatively be made entirely of disposable materials. Appropriate disposable materials for fabric pieces 11 and 101 are absorbent paper fibers possessing sufficient integrity that such cover does not abrade during normal use. Such materials are durable enough for a small number of uses while allowing the user to dispose of the chair cover 1 without undue expense. The use of such disposable alternative structures would enable a user to discard the chair cover 1 if the primary reason for the cover is to keep the covered chair sanitary. Such paper materials may be backed by a moisture-repellant layer to prevent moisture from penetrating pieces 11 and 101. Appropriate materials for this moisture-repellant layer include at least wax, vinyl, low density polyethylene, and other forms of plastic that may be affixed as a layer on a disposable substrate. For the disposable chair cover 1, the fasteners 110a, 110b, 112a, 112b, 114a, and 114b preferably comprise adhesive strips or disposable-quality hook-and-loop fasteners such as those that are commonly utilized on disposable diapers. Pocket 17 in a disposable chair cover 1 may also be detachable so that the user could use the detached pocket as a carrying bag for small items.

The advantages of a disposable chair cover 1 include at least that:

• • (a) The use of paper will provide an inexpensive product of manufacture.
  • (b) The use of paper will likewise provide an affordable item to purchase.
  • (c) Disposability ensures that no washing and drying of the chair cover are required.
  • (d) The use of paper will provide for sanitary use, rendering the chair cover 1 well suited for use in a hospital, rehabilitation facility, or nursing home among other institutional settings.
  • (e) A disposable chair cover is travel-friendly because it is lightweight and may be folded in a compact form. Therefore, the disposable chair cover could easily be used at restaurants and friends' and relatives' homes to ease the process of cleaning a soiled chair and prevent damage to the covered chair.
  • (f) The use of paper permits easier changes of any design applied to the cover because the designs could be printed onto the cover. Therefore, the cover could be imprinted with a currently popular cartoon character. Such disposable chair covers would be especially suited for birthday parties for small children and could be designed to match accompanying party hats, napkins and disposable table cloths.

Based on the foregoing description, it is apparent that the chair cover may be used on chairs of varying sizes. Despite this versatility, the chair cover is: easily installed and removed, form-fitting and tailored in appearance, comfortable, effective in protecting the underlying chair, and time-saving.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the adjustable chair cover described above and in construction of this adjustable chair cover without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. For example, alternate embodiments may include other decorative features, such as lace, ribbons, bows, etc. Another alternate embodiment may be a patch pocket sewn onto the back cover, for storage of bibs. Likewise, the fabric may be any color or pattern to suit baby, child, adult, or special event use. The adjustable fastener for joining may consist of varying fasteners, such as adhesive, buttons, snaps, etc. The number of fasteners is variable, as is the shape of the closure tabs.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from their consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed in this document. The applicant intends that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. An adjustable chair cover, comprising:

A. a back cover having a first back surface and a second back surface, comprising: i. a lower portion having a first fastener attached to the first back surface, ii. an upper anterior portion, iii. an upper posterior portion having a second fastener attached to the second back surface; and

B. a seat cover having a first seat surface and a second seat surface, comprising: i. a seat portion including: a. a first complementary fastener attached to the first seat surface, b. a seat fastener attached to the second seat surface near a first lateral edge of the seat cover, and c. a complementary seat fastener attached to the first seat surface near a second lateral edge of the seat cover; ii. a connector strap that: a. includes a second complementary fastener attached to the second seat surface, b. is attached to the seat portion, and c. extends from the front edge of the seat portion; and

C. in which, when the back cover and the seat cover installed on a chair: i. the first fastener mates with the first complementary fastener, ii. the second fastener mates with the second complementary fastener, and iii. the seat fastener mates with the complementary seat fastener.

2. The chair cover of claim 1, in which the two corners formed between the front edge of the seat cover and the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge are beveled to form a first beveled edge and a second beveled edge respectively.

3. The chair cover of claim 2, in which the first beveled edge and the second beveled edge are curved.

4. The chair cover of claim 3, in which the first beveled edge and the second beveled edge are convex.

5. The chair cover of claim 1, further comprising:

A. a first curved edge that connects the first lateral edge to the front edge of the seat cover and

B. a second curved edge that connects the second lateral edge to the front edge of the seat cover.

6. The chair cover of claim 2, in which:

A. the angle formed by the front edge of the seat cover and the first beveled edge is approximately forty-five degrees.

B. the angle formed by the front edge of the seat cover and the second beveled edge is approximately forty-five degrees.

7. The chair cover of claim 6, in which the first beveled edge and the second beveled edge are convex.

8. The chair cover of claim 1, in which at the rear edge of the seat cover, the distance between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge is smaller than the distance between the first lateral edge at the first beveled edge and the second lateral edge at the second beveled edge.

9. The chair cover of claim 1, in which the first fastener comprises a strip of loop-type material that extends substantially perpendicularly to the front edge of the lower portion.

10. The chair cover of claim 9, in which the first complementary fastener comprises a strip of hook-type material that extends substantially parallel to the front edge of the seat portion.

11. The chair cover of claim 1, in which the strap further comprises:

A. a third fastener attached to the first seat surface near the distal end of the strap,

B. a third complementary fastener attached to the first seat surface near the proximal end of the strap and located such that the strap can be folded to cause the third fastener and third complementary fastener to mate.

12. The chair cover of claim 1, in which the first fastener comprises a plurality of strips of loop-type material that extends substantially parallel to the front edge of the lower portion.

13. The chair cover of claim 12, in which the first complementary fastener comprises a strip of hook-type material that extends substantially parallel to the front edge of the seat portion.

14. The chair cover of claim 1, in which the seat fastener comprises a strip of loop-type material that extends substantially perpendicularly to the first lateral edge.

15. The chair cover of claim 14, in which the complementary seat fastener comprises a strip of hook-type material that extends substantially parallel to the second lateral edge.

16. The chair cover of claim 1, in which the lower portion, the upper anterior portion, and the upper posterior portion are formed from a back fabric piece that is about 16-21 inches wide and about 35-44 inches long.

17. The chair cover of claim 16, in which the seat portion is formed from a seat fabric piece that is about 39-49 inches wide and about 18-24 inches deep.

18. The chair cover of claim 1, in which the seat portion is formed from a seat fabric piece that is about 39-49 inches wide and about 18-24 inches deep.