GB2383748A

GB2383748A - Seat cover

Info

Publication number: GB2383748A
Application number: GB0227522A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Duncan Bartlett
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-11-28
Filing date: 2002-11-26
Publication date: 2003-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 2022-11-26
Also published as: GB0227522D0; GB2383748B

Abstract

An adjustable seat cover for use in motor vehicles has separate left and right sections which overlap and which are connected together by means of hook and loop fastenings. Alternatively, the sections are not connected together but are made of a non-slip, self adherence material. Each left or right section has squab and back parts also connected together by means of hook and loop fastening. Thus the cover can be used on many sizes of motor vehicle seats and is of particular application to bench seats.

Description

Seat Cover The present invention relates to a seat cover, in particular an adjustable bench seat cover for an automobile or motor vehicle.

Seat covers are fitted to protect upholstery, for instance, in the winter from the wet and mud from clothes and pets and/or generally from soiling and damage of the upholstery resulting from diverse uses of the vehicle.

Cars and other automobiles vary greatly as to the shape of their seats, although most seats fall within a certain range of sizes. Traditionally, seat covers have been made for individual models of cars. This is expensive in terms of production and creates inventory problems.

The object of the present invention is to provide a bench or"multi-person" seat cover able to fit a range of bench seats, e. g. rear car seats or front bench seats of commercial vehicles.

According to the invention there is provided an adjustable bench seat cover, the cover having at least left and right sections ; the arrangement being such that with the cover fitted to the seat at the latter's edges, the two cover sections can be smoothed over the seat and overlapped at the seat-middle edges.

While the sections may not be connected, typically the sections will be connectable in use by fastening means. This fastening means may be adjustable such

that the cover can be moved from one seat to another and adjusted each tine. For this (RT M) purpose, hook and loop fastening is particularly suitable. Alternatively studs, zips br the like may be used.

However, the cover may be adjustable only once, to fit a particular seat and then secured. Suitable fastening means would then be glue, or a double sided tape, typically adhered to one section and provided with a release strip for removal for adherence to another section.

If the sections are not to be connected, they may be of non-slip, self adherence (R-rM) material. Suitable such material is typically made of woven nylontand has a

plasticised film on one side and a thin foam layer on the other side. On contact the film layer and the foam layer adhere to each other such that they will not slip apart, but pulling apart can still separate the layers. While the entire cover may be made of this material, usually only edge strips, corresponding to the maximum overlap will be provided.

In the preferred embodiment, the sections are connectable in use by means of hook and loop fastener, one section having one or more wide or two or more narrow strips of fastener on its outer face at its seat-middle edge to be overlapped by the other section, which has at least one strip of complementary fastener on its inner face at its seat-middle edge.

Preferably, the one section having the fastener strips on its outer face will have loop fastener strips and the other section will have a hook strip.

Whilst it can be envisaged that the cover could have stitched together squab and back parts in each section, in the preferred embodiment, the squab and back parts are separate and connectable with hook and loop fastener strips. More than one strip may be provided to accommodate different heights of seat back.

The back parts may be provided with a separable flap to pass over the top of the seat back and allow head restraints to protrude through a hook and loop fastening of the back parts to the flap. The flap is preferably of two width adjustable sections.

The squab parts of the cover preferably each have a flap securable with hook and loop fastener for covering a seat belt opening. The opening can be cut by the end user. Preferably the flaps are stitched along front edges and openable at back edges.

To help understanding of the invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure I is a perspective view of a seat cover of the invention in use and

Figure 2 is a plan view of the seat cover laid out flat, with the parts adjacent each other but not fastened together.

Referring to the drawings, the seat cover thereshown has four main components 1,2, 3,4. These are right and left back and squab parts. The challenge presented in covering rear car seats with a universal cover is that not only does the overall width of such a seat vary from car to car, but also the depth of the squab and the height of the back can vary. Thus adjustment between the four main components is required. This is provided by strips of hook and loop fasteners. These are referred to below as"fastener strips"except where more specific reference is made.

The cover will be described in sequence of fitting to a rear seat, which is not shown as such, since it is covered by the seat cover. It should be noted that the lefthand side as shown in Figure 1 is the right-hand side of the car and vice versa. In this description, "left" and "right" are used in the context of their side of the car.

The right-hand back part 1 is laid against right-hand seat back. A back extension 11 is connected by fastener strips 111 and an elastomeric cord 112. The extension is separated from the back part to an extent to allow a right head restraint RHR to protrude above the back part 1, with the extension being re-fastened on either side of the head restraint. The extension extends over the top of the seat back and its outer end is pulled against the seat back by the cord 112. With the part 1 thus secured, its bottom edge 113 may reach the bottom of the seat back with material to spare or for a tall seat back, the bottom edge may be level with the bottom of the seat back preferably with a margin to tuck in. The bottom edge has a lower loop fastener strip 114 along it on its front face, together with a second such strip 115 spaced a short distance above.

The right-hand squab part 2 is laid on the seat, with its forward edge 211 along the front edge of the seat. A front skirt 21 is stitched to the front edge 211 and hangs down the front of the seat squab. The rear edge 212 of the squab part 2 has a hook fastener strip 213 stitched on its top face. This is fastened to whichever of the strips 114, 115 it most conveniently aligns with, preferably tucked in between the seat squab and back. Thus the right-hand cover parts 1,2 are united into a right-hand section of

the seat cover. It is secured in place by a loop fastener strip 214 stitched at one end thereof to the rear edge 212 and passed underneath the seat squab to connect to a hook fastener piece 215 stitched to the inside of the skirt 21 at its bottom edge.

Both the right-hand back part 1 and the right-hand squab part 2 have four strips 116, 216 of loop fastener stitched on their front faces, the first being along the centre edges 117,217 of the parts and the others spaced progressively from the first.

The left-hand back and squab parts 3,4 are essentially similar in having: * A back extension 31, 'Fastener strips 311 for the back extension, * An elastomeric cord 312, A bottom edge 313, A lower loop fastener strip 314, A second strip 315, A front skirt 41, A forward edge 411, A rear edge 412, A hook fastener strip 413, A loop fastener strip 414, . A hook fastener piece 415.

All these are arranged in like positions as the similarly number pieces of the righthand back and squab parts. The difference is in the manner of interconnection of the right and left sections of the cover.

The parts 3,4 have respective strips 316,416 of hook fastener stitched on their under-faces along their centre edges 317,417. These overlap certain of the loop fastener strips 116,216 and are fastened to them, to secure the two sections of the cover together. Usually one or more of the loop strips 116,216 will remain exposed on the face of the cover. However, this does not detract significantly from the function of the cover

The back extensions 11, 31 overlap and are fastened by fastener strips 1131 ; whilst the skirts 21,41 overlap and are fastened by strips 2141.

Additionally, the outer edges of the back parts are drawn tight by complementary lengths 118,318 of fastener strip stitched to the outer edges and connected behind the back of the seat.

To allow seat belt buckles to pass through the squab parts, these are provided with flaps 217,417 stitched along their front edges and secured down by fastener strips 218,418. The squab parts 2,4 can be cut as required under the flaps for the buckles (not shown). It should be noted that for many vehicles, the seat buckles can protrude at the joint between the back and squab parts via their hook and loop fastenings.

Both the right-hand back part 1 and the right-hand squab part 2 have four strips 116,216 of loop fastener stitched on their front faces, the first being along the centre edges 117,217 of the parts and the others spaced progressively from the first.

The seat cover will normally be of waterproof material.

The invention is not intended to be restricted to the details of the above described embodiment. For instance, the four narrow loop strips on the right hand section of the cover, giving widthwise adjustment can be replaced to wide loop strips, giving an equivalent amount of adjustment. Adjustment can also be enhanced by providing the complementary hook strips on the left hand section as wide strips.

Indeed the fastenings may not be hook and loop, or there may be no fastening means at all.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An adjustable seat cover, the cover having at least left and right sections; the arrangement being such that with the cover fitted to the seat at the latter's edges, the two cover sections can be smoothed over the seat and overlapped at the seat-middle edges.
2. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is no connection means between the sections are not connected.
3. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sections include fastening means to secure the sections together in use.
4. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fastening means is

hook and loop fastening is particularly suitable.
5. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fastening means is a T") series of zips toi each section.
6. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fastening means is studs.
7. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 3, wherein the fastening means is an adhesive.
8. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sections are or have a non-slip, self adherent portion.
9. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 8, wherein the non-slip portion is a plasticised film on one section and a thin foam layer on an other corresponding, section.
10. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein squab and back parts are stitched together.
11. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in any one of claim 1 to 9, wherein squab and back parts are provided as separate sections.
12. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 11, wherein the back parts are provided with a separable flap to pass over the top of the seat back.
13. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 12, wherein the flap is of two width adjustable sections.
14. An adjustable seat cover as claimed in claim 11,12, or 13, wherein the squab parts of the cover preferably each have a flap securable with hook and loop fastener for covering a seat belt opening.

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15. An adjustable seat cover substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 & 2 of the accompanying drawings.