AU2003100523A4

AU2003100523A4 - Chair cover

Info

Publication number: AU2003100523A4
Application number: AU2003100523A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Vanessa Robb
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-06-30
Filing date: 2003-06-30
Publication date: 2003-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 2011-06-30
Also published as: US20040262964A1

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Vanessa Robb COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT CHAIR COVER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 141515687 FIELD OF THE INVENTION: This invention relates to removable chair covers. In particular, this invention relates to removable chair covers for use with large numbers of chairs typically used at functions and events.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION: Over the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the popularity of removable chair covers. These removable chair covers are generally used for functions and events (eg wedding receptions) where it is desirable to have chairs (eg hired chairs) which look clean and uniform. The removable chair covers therefore are able to "hide" tired or worn chairs from the view of patrons to a function. Another advantage of the removable chair cover is that the chair itself is protected to some degree from wear and tear.

Existing removable chair covers for functions or events are made of a woven fabric that is cut and stitched together so as to fit a standard type of chair. Generally, the cover, when fitted to a chair, is tied down using one of a variety of available tying methods. Since the early 1990s, such removable chair covers have been extremely popular and they are now widely available for hire from furniture and function-hire companies in both Australia and elsewhere. However, since their introduction, there has been very little further development of the basic concept of the removable chair cover.

Woven fabric removable chair covers are becoming more expensive to manufacture as general costs of materials and manufacture increase. Accordingly, in order for the existing woven fabric removable chair covers to be a profitable item for a hire company or function centre, it is necessary for the removable chair cover to be reused. Reuse requires the added expense of washing, repair, storage and other related costs (eg the cost of the postfunction pick-up of the covers). Those manufacturing and reuse costs in a relatively competitive market have pushed down the profitability of hiring chair covers. Added to this is the environmental and economic costs of disposal of the relatively non-biodegradable woven fabric.

Another limitation of the woven fabric removable chair cover is that they cannot be printed with company logos and the like without making them useless for future functions.

141515687 Indeed, the ability to customise the existing form of removable chair covers is very limited given that the cost saving inherent in the reusable nature of the chair cover is lessened the more non-generic the particular chair cover becomes. Changes to the standard size, shape, colour or print of a removable chair cover will make it far less reusable.

An object of the present invention is to provide a removable chair cover that is fabriclike, disposable, easily printed on, light, and relatively inexpensive when compared with woven fabric chair covers so that it can justifiably be used only once (or only a small number of times) and thus avoids cleaning, pickup and storage costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: The present invention therefore provides a disposable paper cover for a chair, wherein the paper cover comprises at least one open end for receiving at least a portion of a chair, such that when the paper cover is in use, the paper cover covers substantially the back, seat and legs of the chair with the open end positioned around the legs of the chair.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION: A disposable paper cover for a chair in accordance with the invention comprises at least one open end for receiving at least a portion of a chair, such that when the paper cover is in use, the paper cover covers substantially the back, seat and legs of the chair with the open end positioned around the legs of the chair.

Preferably, the disposable paper chair cover is made of a non-woven and tearresistant paper. The term "tear-resistant" is not meant to mean tear-proof, but means that the paper is resistant to tearing through the general wear and tear expected of the chair cover over the duration of a function or event (eg of about 1 to 6 hours duration). The non-woven and tear-resistant paper is preferably biodegradable.

Preferably, the disposable paper chair cover comprises a substantially rectangular piece of paper folded so that at least two opposing edges of the rectangular piece of paper align and wherein the aligned opposing edges are joined to produce a collapsible tube comprising the open end, an opposing closed end and two joined sides of the paper chair cover. The edges which are joined may be joined by any means but preferably by the use of adhesive or stitching, and most preferably stitching. In addition to stitching of the traditional form used in clothing etc, the chair cover can also be stitched with thick ribbon like materials for a more aesthetically pleasing chair cover.

141515687 The disposable paper chair cover is preferably shaped so as to neatly fit a chair. In particular, the disposable chair cover is preferably shaped such that the open end of the chair cover comprises two unjoined edges of paper wherein one of the two unjoined edges is of a substantially arcuate or concave shape and wherein the other of the two unjoined edges is of a substantially convex shape. When in use the middle portion of the substantially convex edge rests at the bottom of the front legs of the chair and the middle portion of the substantially concave edge rests at the bottom of the back legs of the chair.

The terms "comprise", "comprises" and "comprising" as used throughout the specification are intended to refer to the inclusion of a stated step, component or feature or group of steps, components or features with or without the inclusion of a further step, component or feature or group of steps, components or features.

In the specification, unless stated otherwise, where a document, act or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, that reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act or item of knowledge, or any combination thereof, at the priority date, was part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia.

The invention will now be described in greater detail by reference to the following, non-limiting example and accompanying figures which together provides the best method known of performing the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURE(S): Figure 1 Figure 1 shows at a roll of paper being fed out and cut along curved lines to produce the precursor to the disposable paper chair in accordance with the present invention prior to being folded along line A-B and stitched along its aligned opposing edges (ie sides) to produce the paper chair cover.

Figure 2 Figure 2 shows a method for fitting the disposable paper chair cover to a chair.

Figure 3 Figure 3 provides another method for fitting the disposable paper chair cover to a chair.

EXAMPLE 1: A disposable paper cover for a chair in accordance with the invention, suitable for use with a standard function room chair (eg a no-armed chair with a back, seat and four 141515687 legs) comprises one piece of rectangular paper cut from a roll of typically 1 to 1.2 metres wide and about 40 GSM non-woven paper manufactured by Ahlstrom in Europe.

The benefits of this paper include that it is disposable, biodegradable, fabric-like, light for transportation (in comparison with typical removable chair cover fabrics) and tear-resistant.

This paper is also relatively inexpensive. The technical aspects of one example of a suitable non-woven paper are as set out in the following table: Unit Target Standard-deviation Grammage g/m 2 47 1.6 Thickness micron 158 9 Permeability 196 Pa L/M 2 /S 858 172 Tensile Strength MD N/M 770 111 Tensile Strength CD N/M 583 84 Elongation MD 4 Elongation CD Trapezium Tear MD cN 185 Trapezium Tear CD cN 207 Ratio Wet/Dry 51 Water Drop Test Seconds 88 Thickness Micron 138 8 Permeability 196 Pa L/M 2 /S 763 153 Tensile Strength MD N/M 1070 154 Tensile Strength N/M 772 111 Elongation MD Elongation CD Trapezium Tear MD cN 189 Trapezium Tear CD cN 203 Ratio Wet/Dry 53 Water Drop Test seconds 855 141515687 In particular, the AhIstrom non-woven paper number 4550 satisfies the technical aspects set out in the above table. Persons skilled in the art will appreciate that a paper having similar technical aspects to the paper described in the above table will also be suitable for use in the invention.

Each cut along the roll is made from edge to edge of the paper following the path of between 20 to 40 degrees of a circle depending on the depth of the chair the chair cover will fit. The greater the depth of the chair, typically the greater the portion of a circle the cut will follow. Each cut of the paper from the roll will be the same distance apart as approximately twice the height of the chair which the chair cover is be designed to fit. In this way, the cutting process is designed to produce minimal, if any, wastage of paper.

Each rectangular cut piece of paper is then folded mid way along the straight uncut sides so that the uncut sides lay over themselves and can be stitched (7) together using the basic knot and a-line stitch or miro stitching. This leaves an open end (6) to the chair cover defined by the two circular cut ends that will, when in use, sit around the bottom of the four legs of the chair and also provides an opposing non-stitched (thus stronger) closed end designed to fit or be folded to fit the top of the back of the chair. The stitched edges of the cover will flow along the sides of the chair when in use and may need to be folded behind the chair for presentation and stability purposes.

In use, the open end of the chair cover is placed over the top of a chair and slipped over the remaining part of the chair. The front of the chair cover is defined by the convex side of the open end of the chair cover and, when in use, should rest at the bottom of the front legs of the chair and around the side of the chair at or near the ground. The back of the chair cover is defined by the concave side of the open end of the chair cover and, when in use, should rest at the bottom of the back legs of the chair and around the side of the chair at or near the ground.

The top of the chair cover is defined by the fold produced during manufacture described above and should, when in use, lie at the top of the back of the chair or nearby. The paper chair cover may then be smoothed out over the chair to take the shape of the chair. The excess sides of the chair cover can then be folded or arranged in any usual manner behind or behind and to the side of the chair and tied in position or held in 141515687

I

position by a loop of fabric or the like stretched over the mid or lower portion of the back of the chair but over the chair cover.

Prior to being put in use, the disposable paper cover for a chair in accordance with the invention can have logos, drawings, images or the like applied to them by way of printing, transfer, painting or the like.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.

141515687

Claims

1. A disposable paper cover for a chair, wherein the paper cover comprises at least one open end for receiving at least a portion of a chair, wherein, in use, the paper cover covers substantially the back, seat and legs of the chair with the open end positioned around the legs.

2. A disposable paper cover for a chair according to claim 1, wherein the paper cover comprises non-woven and tear-resistant paper.

3. A disposable paper cover for a chair according to claims 1 to 2, wherein the paper cover comprises a rectangular piece of paper folded so that at least two opposing edges of the rectangular piece of paper align and wherein the aligned opposing edges are joined to produce a collapsible tube comprises the open end, an opposing closed end and two joined sides.

4. A disposable paper cover for a chair according to claim 3, wherein the open end comprises two unjoined edges of the rectangular piece of paper, wherein one of the two unjoined edges is of a substantially concave shape and wherein the other is of a substantially convex shape, and wherein, in use, a middle portion of the substantially convex edge rests at the bottom of the front legs of the chair and a middle portion of the substantially concave edge rests at the bottom of the back legs of the chair. A disposable chair cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Example 1. Dated this thirtieth day of June 2003 Vanessa Robb By her Patent Attorneys Blake Dawson Waldron Patent Services 141515687