GB2297032A

GB2297032A - Vehicle seat cover

Info

Publication number: GB2297032A
Application number: GB9601197A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brian Thomas Eden
Original assignee: BRADGATE TEXTILES Ltd
Current assignee: BRADGATE TEXTILES Ltd
Priority date: 1995-01-20
Filing date: 1996-01-22
Publication date: 1996-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2016-01-22
Also published as: GB9601197D0; GB2297032B

Abstract

A cover for a vehicle seat having an integral or separate headrest 41 has an aperture 23 through which the headrest passes and an extension flap 4 on one side of the aperture, which is passed over the headrest and tucked back through the aperture. The flap may have securing means such as ties (5, Fig 1).

Description

Title - Seat Cover This invention relates to seat covers primarily, but not exclusively, for seats of motor vehicles especially of the private car type.

Motor vehicle seats are now required by legislation to have head restraints to reduce potential neck whiplash injuries to the driver and passenger in the event of collision. However conventional seat covers have not fully addressed the problem of covering the head restraint with the seat itself.

Head restraints are usually provided on mounts comprising two generally upright posts which are received in corresponding sockets in the upper edge of the seat back or squab, and may be adjustable for up and down position in the sockets. Conventional seat covers have covered only the seat and back, concealing the sockets. The material of the seat cover has then had to be pierced by the posts to mount the head restraint. Once the material is pierced in this way, the position of the seat cover cannot be adjusted, tearing of the material may occur, and the head restraints have to be removed from the seat to take off the cover for cleaning. A separate and additional cover needs to be provided for the head restraint itself.

Various proposals have been made for seat covers which attempt to cover the head restraint at the same time as the seat.

For example, in GB-A-2 215 198, a cover having decoration extends over the top of the head restraint, being secured by an elastic strap passing round the rear of the seat just below the head restraint. No attempt is made to conform the cover closely to the shape of the seat and head restraint assembly, since the invention is concerned chiefly with mounting the decoration on the cover.

Similarly, GB - 1 503 460; GB-A-514 644; EP - 0 458 757; US-A 5 234252 and US - 4 396 227; all ignore the separateness ofthe head restraint and simply extend the seat back covering to include the head restraint, making some attempt to shape the cover to conform to the change in outline, for example in EP-A-0 458 757, or providing manual tightening straps in for example US-A-5 234 252.

GB-A-1 194 630 provides a head restraint as an integral part of the cover, attaching it to the seat back by clamps, but this may not provide sufficient security of the head restraint in the case of impact, and does not permit the vehicle manufacturer's head restraint to be utilised.

In some vehicles, no head restraints are provided, for example those of more than a certain age. In some vehicles, a high back seat is provided, in which a head restraint portion is provided integrally with the main back portion of the seat. Both of these types may desirably be catered for by the same seat cover.

It is an object of this invention to provide a seat cover having provision for covering a vehicle seat having a head restraint fitted to the back rest. An optional further object is to enable the seat cover to alternatively provide effective cover for a seat back rest where a head rest is not provided or is integral with the seat (high back type).

According to the invention there is provided a vehicle seat cover adapted to be fitted to a seat having a seat back and optionally a head restraint secured to or formed integrally with the top of the seat back, the cover having an opening positioned at the upper edge of the seat back and sufficiently large to pass the head restraint (where provided) through the opening, the cover also having a flap of material provided at one border of the opening adapted to be drawn over and to be tucked into the border of the opening at the opposite side whereby the flap is retained in position, the flap covering the head restraint where provided.

The flap may be provided with securing means. These may comprise ties, press studs, elasticated straps, touch and close fasteners, or sliding clasp fasteners.

The securing means may be provided for securement at alternative positions, depending on the size and shape of the seat back and head restraint, and on whether a head restraint is fitted.

Practical examples of seat covers embodying the invention are now described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 is a plan view of one form of the cover in the laid out flat condition; FIGURE 2 is a front perspective of the cover shown fitted on a motor vehicle seat; FIGURE 3 is a detail rear perspective view of the fitted cover, FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a furhte form of cover in the laid out flat condition.

Like parts are referred to by the same or similar reference numerals throughout the drawings.

Referring to Figure 1, a seat cover comprises a seat portion 1 having front and side elasticated skirting 11 which can be stretched for fitting about the corresponding part 10 (Figure 2) of the seat in the usual manner, and a back rest portion 2 which fits against the seat back rest or squab 20. The back rest portion 2 is connected at its sides to a rear surround portion or fabric 3, which fits about the rear of the seat back rest 20. The rear surround 3 is also elasticated.

For the purpose of this invention the back rest portion 2 is provided at its upper edge with a lengthwise extension or flap 4 shown integral therewith and which is of a form and extent to pass upwardly over the seat head rest 40 (see Figures 2 and 3) to cover the front face, top and rear of the latter. In particular the flap 4 is of a width to cover, or substantially cover, the front face of the headrest 40.

An opening or slot 23 is provided between the upper edges of the back rest portion 2 and the rear surround portion 3. In order to retain the flap 4 in position in use, its outer end part can be simply tucked in between the rear of the seat back rest 20 and the rear surround portion 3 as shown in Figure 3. Additionally, it can be secured in position by securing means such as tie tapes 5 tied to the head rest support posts 50. Other means of attachment may be employed such as press studs, elasticated straps, touch and close fasteners, or sliding clasp fasteners.

Fitting ofthe seat cover and positioning ofthe flap 4 can be quickly and readily carried out without having to remove the head rest 40. Thus the lower part of the cover back rest portion 2 and the rear surround portion 3 are introduced over the head rest 40 and slid down about the seat back rest 20, the slot 23 between the upper edges of the back rest portion 2 and rear surround portion 3 enabling the head rest 40 to pass through it ready for receiving the flap 4 over it. The seat portion 1 is then fitted about the seat at 10, by its skirting 11.

The border of the slot or opening 23 is preferably elasticated to permit passage of the head rest 40 through it and also to draw the upper end of the cover back rest portion 2 over the shoulders 22 ofthe seat back rest 20 to complete a satisfactory appearance of the fitted cover.

Particularly where the flap 4 is tucked in behind the seat back rest 20, freedom is afforded for raising or lowering the head rest 40 for height adjustment especially for safety head restraint purposes. Similarly head rest removal is facilitated.

Where a head rest 40 is not provided, or it has been removed, the flap 4 can, instead, be passed over the upper edge of the seat back rest 20 and tucked in as before to provide a neat appearance of the complete cover. In most cases any socket holes in the top of the back rest 20 for head rest posts 50 can be covered in this way.

Whichever way the flap 4 is employed an important advantage resides in the fact that it is not necessary to make holes in the seat cover back rest portion 2 for the passage of the head rest posts 50 or similar support. Hitherto this has been a considerable drawback in fitting seat covers to seats having headrests especially having regard to variation in head rest mounting such as distance apart ofthe posts 50. The material ofthe cover is subject to stretching forces in use, when a person sits on the seat, which can result in tearing if the material is penetrated by the head restraint posts.

As well as the advantage of the present cover in this respect and its ease of fitting, the cover can be made of stretchable material especially in the case of the rear surround portion 3 so that the cover is capable of universal application to very considerable variation in seat design and size. The complete cover is also applicable to the high back type of seat in which the head rest is integral with the seat back rest.

The flap 4 leaves the ends 41 ofthe head rest 40 exposed but this should not be detrimental since the colour and any pattern of the cover would normally harmonise with the interior colour scheme of the vehicle. However, if desired the flap could conform at least partly to the shape of a head restraint for example by having side flaps or end caps to cover the head rest ends 41. Alternatively, the flap 4 could be of pocket shape and at least partly made of elasticated material.

The side edges of the flap 4 enable a protective piece of flexible sheet material to be detachably fitted across the front face of the flap to avoid direct head contact which might otherwise soil the flap. The sheet material may be re-usable after cleaning or disposable (e.g.

paper or plastic material) and attached by clip fitting or simply end tucked behind the flap.

As well as the practical advantages already referred to it will be appreciated that the covers embodying this invention can be produced at little extra cost over that of existing covers widely available on the market.

It will also be understood that covers embodying the invention are applicable to seats used for purposes other than automotive use and usually having head rests such as in trains, aircraft and watercraft.

A further form of seat cover is shown in Figure 4 in which the extension or flap 4 from the back rest portion 2 has the rear surround portion 3 continuing from it. The cover can be quickly fitted by fitting the seat portion 1 in the usual way, placing the back rest portion 2 against the seat back rest 20 and then passing the flap 4 over the head rest 40. This positions the rear surround portion 3 behind the seat and it is secured to the front back rest portion such as by the tapes 6, 6'. The flap 4 and upper parts of the back rest and surround portions 2, 3 can be secured to the head rest posts 50 by the tapes 5. Alternative connection of the upper tapes 6 to the lower tapes 6' enables the flap 4 to be employed as a head rest cover or a back rest top cover and also accommodate head rest height adjustment.

Claims

CLAINS:-

1. A vehicle seat cover (1, 11,2, 3, 4) adapted to be fitted to a seat (10, 20, 40) having a seat back (20) and optionally a head restraint (40) secured to or formed integrally with the top of the seat back (20), characterised in that the cover (1, 11,2,3,4) has an opening (23) positioned at the upper edge (22) of the seat back (20) and sufficiently large to pass the head restraint (40, 50) (where provided) through the opening (23), the cover also having a flap (4) of material provided at one border ofthe opening (23) adapted to be drawn over and to be tucked into the border of the opening (23) at the opposite side whereby the flap (4) is retained in position, the flap (4) covering the head restraint (40) where provided.

2. A vehicle seat cover according to claim 1 and further characterised in that the flap (4) is provided with securing means (5).

3. A vehicle seat cover according to claim 2 and further characterised in that the securing means (5) comprise ties.

4. A vehicle seat cover according to claim 2 and further characterised in that the securing means (5) comprise press studs.

5. A vehicle seat cover according to claim 2 and further characterised in that the securing means (5) comprise elasticated straps.

6. A vehicle seat cover according to claim 2 and further characterised in that the securing means (5) comprise touch and close fasteners.

7. A vehicle seat cover according to claim 2 and further characterised in that the securing means (5, 6) are provided for securement at alternative positions, depending on the size and shape of the seat back and head restraint, and on whether a head restraint is fitted.

8. A vehicle seat cover according to any preceding claim and further characterised in that the seat cover comprises a central back rest portion (2) and an elasticated rear surround portion (3) separated by said opening (23) at the upper edge of the seat back (20) and in that the flap (4) comprises an extension of the central back rest portion (2).

9. A vehicle seat cover according to claim 8 and further characterised in that the opening (23) has an elasticated border.

10. A vehicle seat cover according to any preceding claim and further characterised in that the flap (4) is shaped to conform at least partly to the shape of a head restraint (40).