Lounge chair cover and method for using same

Abstract

A lounge chair cover for covering a lounge chair of the type having a central seat portion supported on legs, and a back support and a leg support connected to opposite ends of the seat portion, the supports and the seat portion each having a top and a bottom surface. The lounge chair cover includes an elongated panel of fabric having a head end, a foot end and an intermediate section dimensioned to cover substantially the entire top surface of the back support, the leg support and the seat portion, respectively. The cover also includes a pair of end flaps each connected to the head and foot ends, respectively, that are each dimensioned to cover at least a portion of the lower surface of one of the back support and the leg support. The pair of end flaps each define a cover portion with the respective head and foot ends. The cover portions are adapted to cover at least a portion of the top and bottom surfaces of the back support and the leg support, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the cover includes a plurality of openings therein so that a user can wear the cover when it is not being used to cover a chair.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to lounge chair covers or blankets, and more particularly to covers for chaise lounges for the user to lay upon.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Lounge chairs, also known as chaise lounges, have traditionally been used at the beach or poolside to provide a semi-reclining chair. More recently, multiple position chairs have appeared which have substantially identical back support portions and leg support portions both of which hinge from a central or seat portion and are lockable into a variety of positions. A primary drawback of these chairs, particularly in hot and humid weather, is the discomfort caused by the plastic or nylon webbing extending across the tubular frame.

A need exists for a simple, economical lounge chair cover that is comfortable for a user to lay on, light, and fits many different sized lounge chairs.

SUMMARY OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a lounge chair cover for covering a lounge chair of the type having a central seat portion supported on legs, a back support connected to the seat portion and a leg support connected to an opposite side of the seat portion, the supports and the seat portion each having a top and a bottom surface. The lounge chair cover includes an elongated panel of fabric having a head end, a foot end and an intermediate section dimensioned to cover substantially the entire top surface of the back support, the leg support and the seat portion, respectively. The cover also includes a pair of end flaps each connected to the head and foot ends, respectively, that are each dimensioned to cover at least a portion of the lower surface of one of the back support and the leg support. The pair of end flaps each define a cover portion with the respective head and foot ends. The cover portions are adapted to cover at least a portion of the top and bottom surfaces of the back support and the leg support, respectively.

In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the end flaps has at least one opening defined therein that is dimensioned for a person to insert his/her arm therethrough so that they can wear the cover to keep warm and to make it easier to carry the cover. In another embodiment, the head end flap has a plurality of first snaps secured thereto, and the head end has a plurality of second snaps secured thereto, and the first and second snaps can be snapped together to form different sized cover portions. This makes the cover adaptable to different sized chairs.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of using a lounge chair cover. The method includes the steps of providing a lounge chair cover, that has at least one opening defined therein, positioning the lounge chair cover on a lounge chair having a seat portion, back support and leg support each defining an upper surface area, removing the lounge chair cover from the lounge chair, placing the user's arm through the at least one opening, and wearing the lounge chair cover. Preferably, the lounge chair cover covers at least the upper surface area of the back support.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cut away top perspective view of an embodiment of a lounge chair cover according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is rear elevational view of the cover of FIG. 1 on a lounge chair;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cover of FIG. 1 when it is not covering a chair;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of another embodiment of a lounge chair cover according to the present invention, before the first and second snaps have been secured to one another to form the cover portions;

FIG. 5 is a detailed side cross-sectional view of a portion of the cover of FIG. 4 showing that when the snaps are snapped together a cover portion is formed.

FIG. 6 is a detailed side cross sectional view of a portion of the cover of FIG. 4 showing the head end flap and cover portion secured to the frame of the back support of the chair;

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of another embodiment of a lounge chair cover according to the present invention, showing the length adjustable and width adjustable snaps;

FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of another embodiment of a lounge chair cover according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the cover of FIG. 4 folded in half showing how the openings align when the cover is folded lengthwise;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a user putting her arms through the openings in a lounge chair cover;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a user wearing a lounge chair cover; and

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a user putting her arm through the openings in the lounge chair cover of FIG. 4.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the drawings, for purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a lounge chair cover or blanket. It will understood that the lounge chair cover or blanket is used to cover a lounge chair and then subsequently for a person to lay on.

For exemplary purposes only, described hereinbelow is a preferred embodiment wherein the lounge chair cover is used on a multi-position lounge chair, as shown in the figures.

It will be appreciated that terms or orientation such as “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “side,” and the like used hereinbelow are merely for ease of description and refer to the orientation of the components as shown in the Figures. It should be understood that any orientation of the cover, and the components thereof described herein is within the scope of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, a lounge chair cover 10 is shown. The lounge chair cover 10 is arranged on a conventional multiposition lounge chair 12. The chair 12 includes a tubular metal frame 14 supported by a pair of leg frames 16. Webbing 18, of a flat or tubular type, extends across the frame 14 in the well known manner. The chair 12 includes a seat portion 20 hingedly secured to a back support 22 and a leg support 24 by means of hinges 26 in the tubular frame 14. It will be understood that the type of lounge chair is not a limitation on the present invention. For example, the seat portion 20, back support 22 and a leg support 24 may all be made of a single piece of material that does not include hinges or only the back support 22 may be hingedly connected to the seat portions.

The cover 10 is preferably comprised of a single panel 28 that is, in a preferred embodiment, divided into three sections. It is within the present invention to have the panel 28 only comprise a single section or be divided into two or more sections. The panel 28 can be made of a single piece of material or a plurality of pieces of material that are joined together by a known method, such as stitching. The three sections of the panel 28 are an intermediate section 30 corresponding to the seat portion 20, a head end 32 corresponding to the back support 22 and a foot end 34 corresponding to the leg support 24.

The panel 28 further includes lateral borders 36, 38, a head end border 40 and a foot end border 42. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, the panel 28 includes an outer face 44 and an inner face 46. Preferably, the panel 28 is made of a durable, heavy weight fabric that is comfortable and absorbent. Terry cloth is one preferred fabric for the cover.

With reference now to FIGS. 1-3, a back or end flap 48 is attached to the head end 32 along the head end border 40. The back flap 48 defines with head end 32 a cover portion 50 that is adapted to cover a portion of the back support, and into which the back support 22 can be inserted. The remaining side of the back flap 48 defines an open edge 52 which is inwardly directed towards the intermediate section 30. In this embodiment, the cover portion 50 is formed like a pocket.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the foot end 34 of the panel 28 is similarly secured to a back or end flap 56 along the foot end border 42. Thus, the end flap 56 and foot end 34 form a cover portion 58 that is adapted to cover a portion of the leg support 24, and into which the leg support 24 can be inserted. The remaining side of the end flap 56 defines an open edge 60 directed inwardly toward the intermediate section 30.

Preferably, back flaps 48 and 56 and panel 28 are a unitary piece of material. However, the back flaps 48 and 56 may be separate pieces sewn or otherwise fastened to the end portions 32 and 34.

Cover members 50 and 58 can be formed by back flaps 48 and 56 and head end 32 or foot end 34 in a number of different ways. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 an elastic band 54 can be sewn to the back flap 48 along the open edge 52 in order to draw the back flap 48 into close proximity with the back surface of the back support 22. Similarly, an elastic band 62 can be sewn to the end flap 56 along its open edge 60 to draw the end flap 56 into close proximity with the leg support 24. Preferably, the result is that the end flaps 48 and 56 each form a cover portion 50 and 58 with the respective head and foot ends 32 and 34 that are adapted to cover a portion of the back support 22 and the leg support 24.

As shown in FIGS. 4-5, in another embodiment, back flap 48 and head end 32 include corresponding first and second snaps 64a and 64b that are disposed on opposite sides of head end border 40. To form cover portion 50, back flap 48 is doubled over head end 32 and the first and second snaps 64a and 64b are snapped together. This can be done before or after the cover 10 has been placed on the lounge chair, because, in this embodiment, the cover 10 is wide enough, so that the first and second snaps 64a and 64b will be located outside the rectangular frame 14. Cover portion 58 can be formed in a similar fashion. In another embodiment, as is best shown in FIG. 6, the first and second snaps 64a and 64b can be snapped together such that the back flap 48 or 56 surrounds or is wrapped around a portion of the frame 14.

Referring to FIG. 7, in a preferred embodiment, the cover 10 includes a plurality of corresponding first and second snaps 64a and 64b, so that the cover 10 is length adjustable and can be used on different sized chairs. For illustrative purposes, the first and second snaps 64a and 64b that provide length adjustability are shown in a dashed box labeled 66 in FIG. 7. For example, the cover 10 can include first snaps 64a on back flap 48 that are one inch and seven inches in from open edge 52, and second snaps 64b on head end 32 that are sixteen and twenty-two inches in from open edge 52. This provides a certain amount of adjustability in the length of the cover 10, because it provides the user with an option of which snaps to use. It will be understood that first snaps 64a are male snaps and second snaps 64b are female snaps or vice versa.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cover 10 can also include snaps 64a and 64b that make the cover 10 width adjustable. For illustrative purposes, the snaps 64a and 64b that provide width adjustability are shown in a dashed box labeled 68 in FIG. 7. In this embodiment, similar to the way end flaps 48 and 56 are doubled over or wrapped around a portion of frame 14 and snapped together, cover 10 includes side flaps 70 that are wrapped around a portion of frame 14 and doubled over onto panel 28 and snapped together. It will be understood that length adjustable snaps 66 or width adjustable snaps 68 can be located at either or both ends of the cover 10.

As shown in FIG. 8, in an alternative embodiment, the snaps 64a and 64b are only included at the head end 32 of the cover. In this embodiment, the cover 10 can be shorter so that it only covers the back support 22 or the back support 22 and the seat portion 20.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other fasteners besides snaps can be used. For example, Velcro®, buttons, straps, ties, wraps, hook and loop fasteners or any other means of connection can be used.

Referring back to FIGS. 1-4 and 8-12, in a preferred embodiment, the cover 10 includes a plurality of holes 72 defined therein. These holes 72 can be used for so that a person can wear the cover 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the cover 10 preferably includes four holes 72 adjacent the corners of the cover 10. As shown in FIG. 10, to wear the cover 10 a person puts his/her arms through at least one, and preferably two of the openings and then wears the cover 10 (as shown in FIG. 11). In another embodiment, the person folds the cover 10 lengthwise down the middle so that the two holes 72 at the top are adjacent one another and the two holes 72 at the bottom are adjacent to one another, as shown in FIG. 9. The user then puts one of his/her arms through the two top openings 72 and the other arm through the bottom two openings 72 and wears the cover 10, for example, as a wrap or a shawl, as shown in FIG. 12. This makes the cover 10 easy to carry and also helps keep the user warm. In an alternative embodiment, the cover 10 only includes openings 72 at one end. The user can then wear the cover 10 like a jacket or cape without folding the cover 10. As used herein, “wear” means to carry or have on the person as covering, adornment, or protection. For example, the cover may be worn over the shoulders, around the waist, or the user may simply put their arm through one or more of the opening(s) 72 to carry the cover 10. To this end, the cover 10 can be provided with an aesthetically pleasing design, such as a pattern or the like, or made of an aesthetically pleasing fabric or color.

The foregoing detailed description of the preferred embodiment has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitations should be understood therefrom. Some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains, without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lounge chair cover for covering a lounge chair of the type having a central seat portion supported on legs, a back support connected to the seat portion and a leg support connected to an opposite side of the seat portion, the supports and the seat portion each having a top and a bottom surface, the covering comprising:

an elongated panel of fabric having a head end, a foot end and an intermediate section dimensioned to cover substantially the entire top surface of the back support, the leg support and the seat portion, respectively;

a pair of end flaps each connected to the head and foot ends, respectively, and each dimensioned to cover at least a portion of the lower surface of one of the back support and the leg support;

wherein the pair of end flaps each define a cover portion with the respective head and foot ends, wherein the cover portions are adapted to cover at least a portion of the top and bottom surfaces of the back support and the leg support, respectively.

2. The lounge chair cover of claim 1 wherein at least one of the end flaps has at least one opening defined therein, and wherein the opening is dimensioned such that a person can insert his/her arm therethrough.

3. The lounge chair cover of claim 1 wherein the end flaps each include an elastic band sewn thereto in order to securely engage the end flap with the bottom surface of the back support.

4. The lounge chair cover of claim 1 wherein the head end has a first snap secured thereto and the corresponding head end flap has a second snap secured thereto, and wherein the first and second snaps detachably secure the head end flap to the head end, thereby forming the cover portion.

5. The lounge chair cover of claim 4 wherein the foot end has a first snap secured thereto and the corresponding foot end flap has a second snap secured thereto, and wherein the first and second snaps detachably secure the foot end flap to the foot end, thereby forming the cover portion.

6. The lounge chair cover of claim 4 wherein the head end flap has a plurality of first snaps secured thereto, and the head end has a plurality of second snaps secured thereto, and wherein the first and second snaps can be snapped together to form different sized cover portions.

7. The lounge chair cover of claim 1 wherein the head end flap and the foot end flap each include a pair of openings defined therein, and wherein the openings are dimensioned such that a person can insert his/her arm therethrough.

8. A method of using a lounge chair cover, wherein the method is performed by a user, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing a lounge chair cover, wherein the lounge chair cover has at least one opening defined therein,

b) positioning the lounge chair cover on a lounge chair having a seat portion, back support and leg support each defining top and bottom surface areas, wherein the lounge chair cover covers at least the upper surface area of the back support,

c) removing the lounge chair cover from the lounge chair,

d) placing the user's arm through the at least one opening, and

e) wearing the lounge chair cover.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the lounge chair cover comprises an elongated panel having an intermediate section, a head end and a foot end, wherein the intermediate section is positioned adjacent the seat portion, the head end is positioned adjacent the back support, and the foot end is positioned adjacent the leg support.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the lounge chair cover covers substantially the entire upper surface area of the seat portion, back support and leg support.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the cover has a plurality of openings defined therein, and wherein the method further comprises the step of placing the user's other arm through one of the others of the openings.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the cover further comprises a pair of end flaps each connected to the head and foot ends, respectively,

wherein the pair of end flaps each define a cover portion with the respective head and foot ends, and wherein when the cover is positioned on the lounge chair, the cover portion covers at least a portion of the top and bottom surface areas of the back support and the leg support, respectively.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein before step (c), the user folds the cover lengthwise and aligns at least two of the plurality of openings.

14. The method of claim 8 where the cover includes an aesthetically pleasing design.