GB2450107A

GB2450107A - Protective seat cover

Info

Publication number: GB2450107A
Application number: GB0711303A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Barrett Mark Veldsman
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-06-12
Filing date: 2007-06-12
Publication date: 2008-12-17
Also published as: GB0711303D0

Abstract

A protective seat cover 1 comprises a section of sheet material dimensioned to extend beyond the perimeter of the seat 2 and a drawstring 4 integrated into the outer perimeter of the sheet, to reduce the length of the outer perimeter of the sheet to less than that of the seat. The cover may be provided with a bag 5 for storage of the cover when it is not in use. The bag may be attached to the cover, and may have a closure device such as a flap, zip fastener (10, Fig. 7), hook-and-eye fastener or press-stud. The cover may be attached to the seat by a hook or a clip (8, Fig. 7). The sheet material may be waterproof. The seat cover may be reversible and comprise two different materials.

Description

IriteHectual Oe DODD Pc,' Creiyi(y and Jn:cation Application No. GBO7

I 1303.8 RIM Datc:4 Octobcr 2007 The following terms are registered trademarks and should be read as such wherever they occur in this document: "Velcro" UK Intellectual Property Office is an operating name of the Patent Office

PROTECTIVE SEAT COVER

Background

This invention relates to removable coverings for protection of various types of indoor and outdoor seating, including self-supporting chairs, pull-down seating, such as stadium seating, as well as vehicle seats and saddles, such as bicycle, moped and motorcycle seats, including seating for two persons, such as single double seats or dual seats..

Conventional arrangements for removable seat covers consist of a piece of sheet material which is placed over the seat. The sheet material is extended over the perimeter of the seat and wrapped below the perimeter, so that the upper surface of the seat is covered by the sheet material. The edge of sheet material wraps around the seat perimeter and extends inwardly below the seat. The edge of the sheet material may be attached to the underside of the seat or held in place by some other means.

The user of conventional seat covers applies and removes the seat cover according to current needs eg according to whether the seat itself is in use, or, for example, according to weather conditions. The seat cover may be applied only when the seat is being used, ie when the user is seated on the seat, or, conversely, when the seat is not being used, ie when the seat is not in use, but requires protection from, for example, the current weather conditions. However, conventional seat covers, are often not suited to frequent application or removal.

Moreover, once removed from the seat the cover may have to be carried by the user, which may be extremely inconvenient for the user, weather the user then sits on the seat or leaves the seat and is obliged to take the seat cover with him.

Conventionally seat covers are made of a thin material which is liable to be torn during rapid or repeated application or removal. Thin seat covers consequently do not have a long lifetime. A further disadvantage is that thin covers do not sit

I

well on the seat, being liable to shift or wrinkle if the user sits on the seat while the cover is in place. This can lead to discomfort for the user as well time lost in repeatedly adjusting the cover during extended periods of use.

Furthermore, conventional seat covers do not accommodate multiple needs, being, for example, unsuitable for protection against both heavy rain or humid conditions and harsh sunlight. In the case of bicycle saddles, which often include a part made of expensive soft leather, both excessive water and harsh temperatures or light conditions can cause damage to the seat. Conventional seat covers are designed to withstand only one type of weather, this being usually rain.

There is therefore a need to provide a seat cover which will overcome the

deficiencies of prior art arrangements.

Summary of the invention

According to a first aspect of the invention a protective seat cover is provided for wrapping over a seat having an upper surface and a perimeter, the cover comprising a section of sheet material, the section being dimensioned to extend beyond the perimeter of the seat, a drawing means, integrated into the outer perimeter of the section, for reducing the length of the outer perimeter of the section below that of the seat, the drawing means being operable to extend the material section around and below the perimeter of the seat and to constrain the section into cooperation with the surface of the seat.

The protective seat cover may also comprise a lightweight pouch for storage of the seat cover when it is not in use, the pouch being closed except for an aperture for receiving the seat cover. The pouch may be dimensioned to have a volume slightly exceeding that of the seat cover when the seat cover is packed tightly within it. It may be attached to the seat cover at a point on the aperture of the pouch. The point of attachment may be the cover's circumference.

In an embodiment of the invention the cover may also comprise an attachment means for attaching the seat cover to the seat, the attachment means being attached to the seat cover, possibly at the cover's circumference. The attachment means may be made of lightweight plastic and may be dimensioned to attach the seat cover to the frame of a bicycle or the struts of a bicycle saddle.

Advantageously the attachment means may be a hook or a clip. As a clip the attachment means may comprise a resilient element which closes the clip in the absence of any manually applied opening force.

In an aspect of the invention the sheet material is made of neoprene, a polyester, a waterproof material or any other suitable material. It may also be constructed with a first material on a first surface and a second material on the second surface, such that the cover is reversible: the first and second layers may be made of neoprene, a polyester, a waterproof material or any other suitable material.

Description of the figures and embodiments

Features of the invention are explained in the following description in reference to the following figures: -Figure 1 illustrating a side view of a protective seat cover in use.

-Figure 2 illustrating a side view of a protective seat cover in use on a bicycle saddle.

-Figure 3 shows a typical motorcycle seat without any cover -Figure 4 shows a protective seat cover of the invention in use on a motorcycle seat.

* -Figure 5 shows an embodiment of a containment bag having a drawing means for closing the bag.

-Figure 6 shows an embodiment of a containment bag having a lid-type means for closing the bag.

The following is a detailed description of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a seat cover of the invention in use on a seat. The seat cover (1) comprises a section of flexible sheet-like material which is a pure substance or a composite of different materials. The sheet material is placed on the seat (2) and spread over it, such that the edge of the seat cover (1) extends over the perimeter of the seat. With one hand the user holds part of the seat cover (I) in place and with the other hand pulls the edge of the cover over the seat. Some force may be required by the user to hold the material in place and stretch it over the edge of the seat, depending on the elasticity of the sheet material and any elasticity in the drawing means (discussed below).

Having pulled the edge of the cover (1) over the perimeter of the seat (2), the user pulls the edge down further and below the seat (2) at its widest point. If the drawing means (3) is then actuated, either by releasing the edge to the elastic effect of the drawing means or by pulling on a draw string (4), the circumference of the cover edge is then reduced. This draws the cover (1) to the seat (2), so that the cover (1) effectively wraps around the seat (2), thereby protecting the seat (2) from exposure to any undesirable external influence.

Figure 2 shows a seat cover (1) of the invention in use on a bicycle seat (6). The dimensions and shape of the cover (1) are selected to fit the dimensions and shape of the seat in question. Figure 3 shows a typical motorcycle saddle (7) without any cover. Figure 4 shows the seat cover (1) of the invention in place over a motorcycle saddle. The seat cover may also be dimensioned and shaped to fit over dual seats, such as a single dual motorcycle seat, for seating two persons, wherein a single seat cover extends over both seat portions.

Alternatively, where the two seats are themselves separate and distinct, ie not portions of a single seat, a double cover seat cover is envisaged which itself has two distinct portions each dimensioned and shaped to fit the two seats.

The arrangement may comprise a drawing means (3) extending along the outer circumference of the sheet material. The outer circumference is manually stretched over the edge of the seat and wrapped below the edge. The drawing means (3) may then be actuated to draw in the outer circumference of the fabric to reduce its length below that of the outer circumference of the seat, such that the fabric is then held in place by the drawing means(3), as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The drawing means (3) may comprise a circumferential strip of the sheet material which is folded back onto the material and attached to it to make a hem, essentially forming a tube which extends along the length of the circumference of the sheet material. The hem extends along the substantially the full length of the sheet material's circumference and contains an elastic cable means formed into a continuous ring. The cable is free to move within the hem. In the absence of any tensile force applied to the drawing means (3) the elastic means automatically actuates and contracts to reduce the circumference of the sheet material, causing material to be gathered up along the length of the hem.

In an alternative arrangement the hem is open for a short portion of the circumference and the elastic cable is replaced by a non-elastic cord or cable (4) which may be formed into a ring or may be extend through the open ends of the hem, allowing an operator to pull on the exposed ends of the draw cord, draw string or draw cable (4), causing the tensioned cable to reduce the length of the circumference of the sheet material, material being gathered together along the length of the reduced circumference as previously described.

Advantageously, the seat cover (1) may also include a storage means (5) which may be a bag or pouch, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. When the cover is not in use it can be folded or squashed into a more compact form and inserted into the bag or pouch (5). This avoids the inconvenience of having to carry the cover during periods of non-use. The bag or pouch (5) may be attached to the seat cover thereby obviating the need to carry a separate bag and eliminating the chance that the storage means (5) will be completely forgotten.

Being made of a thin sheet-like material the seat cover can be compacted into a very small space. In one embodiment of the invention the dimensions of the cover storage means (5) (the pouch or bag) are selected, so that the compacted seat cover (1) may be just inserted into the storage means, so that the loaded bag (5) itself takes up no more space than is necessary. The user may have to apply light or moderate force to feed the entire cover into the storage means(5), so that the volume of the loaded bag approximates closely to that of the inserted cover, Ideally, the volume of the fully loaded pouch would be 30-100 cm3.

Reducing the cover (1) to such a compact form means that it is far easier to store away during a day bag, handbag or drawer, etc and eliminates the inconvenience of the open, non-compacted cover being carried by the user.

The bag (5) may be made of any suitable lightweight material, which is strong enough to withstand the forces imposed by usqueezing the cover into it and yet light enough not to cause any noticeable weight gain. The bag (5) may be made of a lightweight polyester or a light nylon mesh.

The bag or pouch (5) may comprise at least one opening, as well as a closure means for closing the opening. After inserting the seat cover (1)_into the storage means (5), the closure means may be activated to retain the cover (1) within the storage means (5). The closure means may be a further drawing means including an elastic cable or draw cord (4), as shown in Figure 5 described previously in relation to the cover, or, alternatively, may be a lid or flap formed of the same material as the bag or pouch whereby a portion of the wall of the of the bag or pouch (5) extends beyond the rim of the bag or pouch (5) and forms a section which can close across the mouth of the opening to close it, as shown in Figure 6. In the alternative form the lid may be held shut by fastening means such as buttons or press-studs. In a further alternative the closure means may be a zip fastener (10) or a Velcro closure or any other suitable closure means, as shown in Figure 7.

The arrangement may also advantageously comprise an attachment means (9) for attaching the seat cover (1), when not in use, to the seat (2). The attachment means (9) allows the user to attach the cover (I) to the seat (2) or to any other convenient point. This minimises the possibility of loss of the seat cover(1), by ensuring that, even during periods of non-use, the seat cover (1) can be attached to the seat (2). For cycle users, for example, there is a clear advantage to such a feature. If the cover (1) has been removed before the cyclist mounts the bicycle or motorcycle, then the seat cover(1) , at this point possibly contained in the bag or pouch (5), can be attached to the frame or to the underside of the seat (6): the seat cover (1) is always close to the seat, whether during use or during non-use.

The attachment means may be a simple hook. Alternatively, the attachment means (8) may be a clip which comprises an arm (9) made of resilient material or spring mounted, which automatically closes following attachment, thereby ensuring that inadvertent detachment and loss of the seat cover(1). Light or moderate pressure can applied by the user to subsequently re-open the clip.

Thus, the clip can conveniently attach the seat cover, for example to a bicycle frame, with minimum effort or manipulation by the user.

Where the cover (1) is to be in use while the user is seated on the seat, ie the user sits on the seat cover (1) covering the seat, it is also important that the seat cover be made of a suitable material. This may include rubber-based materials, matrices and fabric, such as neoprene, which allow some degree of compression and user comfort as well as providing suitable water repellent or transmission properties.

The materials are selected according to the expected use of the seat cover(1).

For example a seat cover (1) which is to be used with stadium seating may be made of a waterproof material in order to keep the seat dry during rain. A soft leather bicycle or motorbike saddle may need protection from high temperatures or damaging sunlight -the cover material will be selected according to its thermal properties, such as a thermally reflective material or a material with a highly reflective surface The seat cover (1) may also comprise at least two layers with different materials.

A reversible seat cover, with one surface having different properties to the other surface, advantageously allows the user to protect the seat in different ways. It may be for example that one surface is a waterproof polyester and the other surface is a reflective material, thereby providing a seat cover which will protect from both rain and, after reversing it, from harsh sunlight. There may also be a third inner layer, which may, for example, be made of a soft compressible material, providing comfort to the user for covers to be used while the user is seated on the seat.

The reader will appreciate that further modifications and variations are possible within the invention as herein described, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A protective seat cover for wrapping over a seat having an upper surface and a perimeter, the cover comprising -a section of sheet material, the section being dimensioned to extend beyond the perimeter of the seat -a drawing means, integrated into the outer perimeter of the section, for reducing the length of the outer perimeter of the section below that of the seat, the drawing means being operable to extend the material section around and below the perimeter of the seat and to constrain the section into cooperation with the surface of the seat.

2. A protective seat cover as in Claim 1 further comprising a lightweight storage means for storage of the seat cover when it is not in use, the storage means being closed except for an aperture for receiving the seat cover.

3. A protective seat cover as in Claim 2 wherein the storage means is a pouch or bag.

4. A protective seat cover as in Claim 3 wherein the pouch is dimensioned to have a volume slightly exceeding that of the seat cover when the seat cover is packed tightly within it.

5. A protective seat cover as in any one of Claims 2 to 4 wherein the storage means is attached to the seat cover at a point on the circumference of the aperture of the storage means.

6. A protective seat cover as in any one of Claims 2 to 5 wherein the storage means is attached to the seat cover at the cover's circumference.

7. A protective seat cover as in any one of Claims 2 to 6 wherein the storage means further comprises a closure means.

8. A protective seat cover as in any one of Claims 2 to 7 wherein the closure means is a flap, a zip fastener, a Velcro fastener or at least one press-stud.

9. A protective seat cover as in any previous claim further comprising at least one attachment means for attaching the seat cover to the seat, the attachment means being attached to the seat cover.

1 0.A protective seat cover as in Claim 9 wherein the at least one attachment means is attached to the seat cover at the cover's circumference.

11.A protective seat cover as in any one of Claims 2 to 9 wherein the at least one attachment means is attached to the outside of the storage means.

12.A protective seat cover as in any one of Claims 9 to 11 wherein the at least one attachment means is made of lightweight plastic

13.A protective seat cover as in any any one of Claims 9 to 12 wherein the at least one attachment means is dimensioned to attach the seat cover to the frame of a bicycle or struts of bicycle saddle.

14.A protective seat cover as in any one of Claims 9 to 13 wherein the at least one attachment means is a hook.

15. A protective seat cover as in any one of Claims 9 to 13 wherein the at least one attachment means is a clip, comprising a resilient element which closes the clip in the absence of any manually applied opening force.

16.A protective seat cover as in any previous claim in which the sheet material is neoprene.

17.A protective seat cover as in any previous claim in which the sheet material is a waterproof material.

18.A protective seat cover as in any previous claim in which the sheet material is a polyester.

19.A protective seat cover as in any one claim of Claims I to 15 wherein the seat cover is reversible, further comprising a first material on a first surface and a second material on the second surface.

*

20.A protective seat cover as in Claim 19 in which the first material is neoprene.

21.A protective seat cover as in Claim 19 or 20 in which the sheet material is waterproof.