Furniture protector device

Abstract

Furniture protector device comprising: a plurality of side by side rigid elongate members forming an upper layer of rigid members and and a lower layer of rigid members. The layers are attached to each other by standard equally space pins to form a standard expandable lattice structure. A plurality of spike members are perpendicularly attached to the rigid members of the upper layer. A pair of handle members are each attached to rigid members located on the right and left side of the upper layer. The lattice structure can be expanded to cover the entire horizontal surface of a standard sofa or contracted for compact storage.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORS RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED THE APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of furniture protector accessories and more specifically to a portable furniture protector device for use in deterring pets from sitting on furniture.

A common problem for pet owners is that their pets, such as a dog or a cat, climb onto a piece of furniture such as a chair or a sofa and soil the horizontal surface of the chair or sofa with pet hair or other pet related debris. Such pet hair or debris is unsightly and may cause an allergic reaction to those who sit on the affected surfaces. To eliminate this problem, it is necessary to put some sort of covering on the chair or sofa seat that will discourage the pet from resting there.

A number of inventors have addressed this problem. Ronald Waselewski, in his U.S. Pat. No. 6,749,922 discloses a foldable rigid sheet material that can be put on a sofa surface so that a plurality of V shapes discourage the pet from sitting on the sofa. Charles Byrne, in his U.S. Pat. No. 6,095,091 shows a flexible mat that includes a plurality of upwardly disposed tines that create an uncomfortable environment for the pet. Edward Rogers, in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,746 discloses a plurality of angle members connected by a flexible cord so that the angle members can be spread out evenly over a furniture surface thereby discouraging a pet from lying on the surface. And finally, James DeBoard, in his patent application 5,842,746 discloses a plurality of expandable strut members that are attached to each other by hinges so that, when expanded, the struts are distributed along the length of a sofa thereby discouraging a pet from sitting on the surface.

All the above solutions to the problem of pets sitting on a sofa or chair have certain deficiencies in their approach. Referring to the Waselewski patent, a pet, especially a small pet such as a cat, can easily make use of the V shapes for sitting on for sitting or lying. Although the pet may not be lying directly on the furniture surface, the pet is not being trained to stay off of the surface because the configuration does not provide enough deterrent. The mat disclosed in the Byrne patent also seems to provide little deterrent for a larger dog who wishes to sit on a sofa. Smaller pets such as a cat could sit between the mats. The mats, being of a specific size may not cover the intended surface completely without overlapping each other. Multiple mats are somewhat difficult to store. The angle channels in the Rogers patent also do not seem to provide a strong deterrent for a larger dog, and a cat could easily lie in the space between the angles. Finally, the device described in the DeBoard patent would allow a pet such as a cat to crawl under the struts. Additionally, the hinged construction of the device allows the entire assembly to flex and potentially cause a number of the struts to flatten thereby giving a larger pet a place to sit or lie.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide a furniture protector device that inhibits pets such as dogs or cats from sitting on a piece of furniture such as a chair or a sofa.

Another object of the invention is to provide a furniture protector device that can be expanded or contracted to fit sofa's of various widths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a furniture protector device that can be easily stored.

Another object of the invention is to provide a furniture protector device whose deterrent means are strong enough, tall enough and closely enough spaced that any sized cat or dog would be deterred from sitting on the piece of furniture that employs the present invention.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is disclosed a furniture protector device comprising: a plurality of side by side rigid elongate members forming an upper layer and a lower layer, said layers attached to each other by standard pin means to form a standard expandable lattice structure, a plurality of spike members each fixedly and perpendicularly attached to said rigid members of said upper layer, and a pair of handle members each centrally and fixidly attached to a said rigid member of said upper layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the invention in the closed position.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the invention on a sofa in the open use position.

FIG. 3 shows a partial perspective view of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a side edge view of the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a top edge view of the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of a shorter version of the invention in use on a chair.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein. It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed system, structure or manner.

Referring now to FIG. 1 we see a plan view of the invention 100 in its closed or stored position. The protective device 100 is comprised of a plurality of rigid elongate members arranged in a side by side manner and placed in upper and a lower layers 2A, 2B, that when pinned together by equally spaced posts 4, create a standard expandable lattice configuration. Raised handles 6, 8 provide gripping points allow the user to easily expand and contract the lattice assembly.

FIG. 2 shows the invention 100 in its expanded form and in use on a sofa 10. The upper 2A and lower 2B layers are clearly visible. The posts 4, which can be also described as spikes because of their conically shaped tops, are equally spaced about four and one half inches apart. The posts 4 are approximately one and three quarters of an inch tall. Experiments have shown this particular post spacing and post height to be most effective in deterring a dog or a cat from resting on the cushion surface of a sofa 10. The preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 2 can be expanded or contracted to fit most standard sized sofa's. The handles 6, 8 easily allow the user to adjust the expansion or contraction of the invention 100.

FIG. 3 shows a partial view of the invention 100 and clearly shows the shape of post 4 which includes a cone shaped head 4A that further deters a pet from sitting or lying on the protected furniture surface. The cone shape 4A is slightly rounded at the top to prevent them from inflicting any serious harm to a pet or a person.

FIG. 4 shows a side edge view of the invention 100. Captive nuts 24 can be seen which retain posts 4 in such a way that elongate members 2A, 2B are free to pivot about posts 4 in a standard lattice assembly manor.

FIG. 5 shows a top edge view of the invention 100. Posts 4 can be seen extending through layers 2A and 2B as shown by dotted line 22.

FIG. 6 shows an alternate embodiment of the invention 200 that is designed for a single chair. It uses fewer elongate members and can therefore be made less expensively and stored in a smaller space.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. Furniture protector device comprising:

a plurality of side by side rigid elongate members forming an upper layer and a lower layer, said layers attached to each other by standard equally spaced post means to form a standard expandable lattice structure;

a plurality of spike members each fixedly and perpendicularly attached to said rigid members of said upper layer; and

a pair of handle members each centrally and fixidly attached to a said rigid member of said upper layer.

2. Furniture protector device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lattice structure can be expanded to cover the entire horizontal surface of a standard sofa.

3. Furniture protector device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said handles can be grasped by a user to facilitate the expansion or contraction of said lattice structure.

4. Furniture protector device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lattice structure is easily storable when in its collapsed position.

5. Furniture protector device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said spike member includes a cone shaped top to inhibit the presence of a dog or a cat.

6. Furniture protector device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said spike members are evenly spaced approximately four and one half inches apart and are approximately one and three quarters of an inch tall.

7. Furniture protector device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lattice structure can be comprised of varying amounts of said elongate members depending on whether the said furniture protector device is intended for use on a chair or a sofa.