US20130099533A1

US20130099533A1 - Portable Seat Cover

Info

Publication number: US20130099533A1
Application number: US13/279,178
Authority: US
Inventors: Marie L. Lugo
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2011-10-21
Filing date: 2011-10-21
Publication date: 2013-04-25

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable seat cover for covering the seated portion of a sitting place, such as a chair, bench, the ground, etc. The portable seat cover includes a cover attached to a pouch. The cover protects a user's pants, shorts, and legs from dirt and germs located on the seat. The pouch, attached to the cover, reduces the size of the cover. The pouch also provides easy storage and transport for the cover.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for covering seats, and specifically to an apparatus using a reusable portable seat cover.
2. Description of Related Art
Seat covers have been around for a long time. Some seat covers are designed for single, temporary, or disposable use, and others are designed to be reusable. A temporary seat cover is designed for a limited number of uses, whereas as a reusable seat cover is designed for many uses. Single use seat covers include those on a toilet seat. A toilet seat cover is thrown away after once use. Reusable seat covers include those on a car seat, bicycle seat, or baby seat. These seat covers are design for multiple uses.
A reusable seat cover can slip onto a seat and protect the seat, the user, and the user's clothes. The seat cover extends the useful life of the seat. Also, the seat cover can protect the user and his clothes from dirt, germs, viruses, extreme temperatures, moisture, spills, etc.
Some seat covers are designed to be to be portable, such that they can be used anywhere. The portable seat cover can be taken to public places, outside of the home, where the user is often most concerned about staying clean from dirt and germs. Public seats have been found to host a plethora of germs. A single public seat can be utilized by dozens of individuals each day. This is especially true for trains, planes, buses, and movie theatres. If a person sits on a contaminated seat, this places the person in danger of contacting harmful, unhealthy germs. Moreover, seats which are repeatedly utilized, such as seats in a movie theatre, may contain spilled liquids or food on their surfaces. These spilled substances oftentimes come into contact with a person that later sits on the seat, leading to irritation, embarrassment, and stained clothing.
Conventional devices have been made to avoid or mitigate contact with these germs and contaminants in public places. However, many of these conventional devices fail to provide a portable seat cover that is both simple enough to use and small enough to transport. These conventional devices are not easy to store or pack into a purse, backpack, or pocket. As a result, users ultimately do not end up bringing their portable seat covers with them to take advantage of the benefits provided by a seat cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,948,771 to Salandy is directed to a portable seat-back cover which covers the back and head of a variety of seats. The cover has a head rest section for covering a seat's head rest, a back rest section to cover the back of the seat, and a wraparound section for wrapping around the back of the seat. The cover has drawstrings on the side to adjust the back rest section to tightly adjust to the back of the seat. The cover comes with a built in pouch. However, the cover in Salandy suffers from the same problems of other conventional devices, in that it is not simple enough to use and small enough to transport. Further, it does not cover the seated portion of the seat, meaning it is not in fact a seat cover. As a result, Salandy's back cover does not protect the person's pants, shorts, or legs from dirt and germs. It would be highly desirable to have a seat cover that is small, simple, and protects the person and their clothes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a portable seat cover for covering the seated portion of a sitting place, such as a chair, bench, the ground, etc. The portable seat cover includes a cover attached to a pouch. The cover protects a user's pants, shorts, and legs from dirt and germs located on the seat. The pouch, attached to the cover, reduces the size of the cover. The pouch also provides easy storage and transport for the cover.
In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises: a cover configured to cover a seated portion of a sitting place; and a pouch attached to the cover, wherein the pouch comprises an opening configured to fit the cover through. The pouch may be sewn to the cover, attached to an edge of the cover, or may comprise a drawstring. The drawstring may comprise a cord stopper. The pouch may comprise an inside and an outside, wherein the inside is configured to be turned inside out. The inside may remain inside when the cover is stored in the pouch or the inside may be turned inside out when the cover is stored in the pouch. The cover may be configured to be reusable. The cover may comprise cloth. The cover may comprise a quick drying material, a wicking material, and/or an anti-microbial fabric.
An advantage of the present invention is that the pouch reduces the size of the cover. Furthermore, with the cover being attached to the pouch, the cover is easier to pack and store. Also, with the pouch attached to the cover, the pouch cannot be misplaced and subsequently lost. As of result of each of these advantages, the portable seat cover is quicker to pack, simpler to store, and easier to transport.
The foregoing, and other features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a portable seat cover on a sitting place according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the portable seat cover according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 3-8 illustrate multiple arrangements for portable seat covers according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow chart showing a process of using the portable seat cover according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Before the present composition, methods, and methodologies are described, it is to be understood that this invention is not limited to particular compositions, methods, and experimental conditions described, as such compositions, methods, and conditions may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is for purposes of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limited only in the appended claims.
As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, as it will be understood that modifications and variations are encompassed within the spirit and scope of the instant disclosure.
The present invention relates to a portable seat cover for covering the seated portion of a sitting place, such as a chair, bench, the ground, etc. The portable seat cover includes a cover attached (e.g., sewn) to a pouch. The cover protects a user's pants, shorts, and legs from dirt, germs, moisture, spills, and extreme temperatures on the seat. The pouch, attached to the cover, reduces the size of the cover. The pouch also provides easy storage and transport for the cover. The attached pouch can be closed using a drawstring at the top with a cord stopper to keep the pouch closed when not in use. Closing the pouch helps decrease the size of the rolled or folded up cloth for maximum portability. The folded up pouch conveniently fits inside a purse, a backpack, a jacket, a pants pocket, and a glove compartment.
FIG. 1 illustrates a sitting place 100 having a portable seat cover 110 according to one embodiment of the invention. The sitting place 100 includes a seated portion 105 for a user to sit on. The portable seat cover 110 on the seated portion 105 includes a cover 115 and pouch 120. The pouch 120 includes an opening 125, one or more drawstrings 130, and a cord stopper 135.
The sitting place 100 includes public and private places, such as the chairs at a user's home or at a restaurant, the benches at a bus stop or a park, the seats at a movie theatre, a subway, a trolley, a bus, or a stadium, the sand at a beach, the cement on a sidewalk, the concrete on a street, the leather on a car seat, and a large number of other places where a user would like to sit. The seated portion 105 touches the user's pants, shorts, and/or legs.
The portable seat cover 110 (e.g., an apparatus) includes the cover 115 connected to the pouch 120. This connection can be sewing or any other connection known by those with skill in the art. The portable seat cover 110 protects the user from the dirt and germs that are present on many public areas where one is likely to sit. Additionally, the portable seat cover 110 provides an added layer of insulation from heated and cold seat surfaces including, for example, aluminum, concrete, leather, etc.
The cover 115 provides a surface for the user to sit on. The cover 115 can be designed from a material that is easy to clean. Also, the cover 115 can be designed from a material that maintains a comfortable temperature when the surrounding temperature is extreme. The cover 115 can be made out of a cloth or similar material. In a preferred embodiment, the cloth is made out of a quick drying material, a wicking material, and/or an anti-microbial fabric. The cover 115 is designed to be reused multiple times (e.g., permanent), unlike a single use toilet seat cover. The cover 115 is shown unfolded and spread out entirely. The cover 115 does not need to be folded to provide more space to sit. Alternatively, the cover 115 can be folded multiple times for more padding and insulation.
The pouch 120 can be a drawstring pouch, attached to the cover 115, and designed to transport and minimize the size of the cover 115. The pouch 120 has an opening 125 for inserting and storing the cover 115. The cover 115 can be inserted directly into the pouch 120, or the pouch 120 can be turned inside out and surround the cover 115. The pouch 120 includes one or more drawstrings 130 for opening and closing the pouch 120. The drawstrings 130 have a cord stopper 135 for securing the closure of the pouch 120 when not in use. Closing the pouch 120 helps decrease the size of the pouch 120 and the cover 115. The cover 115 can be rolled, folded, or stuffed into the pouch 120. The pouch 120 can conveniently fit inside a purse, a backpack, a jacket, a pants pocket, and a glove compartment. Closing the pouch 120 results in maximum portability.
The opening 125 allows the cover 115 to easily be inserted. Before insertion, the cover 115 can be folded or rolled. The pouch 120 can be turned inside out and wrapped around the cover 115, or the cover 115 can simply be stuffed inside. The drawstrings 130 act as a fastener to close the opening 125 and reduce the size of the pouch 120. The cord stopper 135 secures the drawstrings 130 in place. The pouch 120 reduces the size of the cover 115, such that the cover 115 can easily be stored and transported in a user's purse, backpack, pocket, etc.
FIG. 2 illustrates the portable seat cover 110 according to one embodiment of the invention. As shown, when the cover 115 is laid down flat, the left side of the cover 115 can be sewn or attached to the right side of the pouch 120. Since the pouch 120 is shorter than the cover 115, in this embodiment, the pouch 120 can be placed at the upper left hand cover of the cover 115, such that the opening 125 is flush with the top edge of the cover 115. The cover 115 can be flipped upside down, and the pouch 120 can be turned inside out. Multiple other arrangements for the portable seat cover 110 are known by those with skill in the art, and are within the scope of this invention.
FIGS. 3-8 illustrate multiple arrangements for portable seat covers 310-810 according to embodiments of the invention. FIG. 3 illustrates a cover 315 and pouch 320 being of the same length. FIG. 4 illustrates an opening of a pouch 420 facing away from a cover 415, whereas FIG. 5 illustrates an opening of a pouch 520 facing towards a cover 515. FIG. 6 shows a pouch 620 and an opening being placed on the opposite sides of a cover 615 compared to the prior figures. FIG. 7 illustrates a pouch 720 being placed in the middle of a cover 715. FIG. 8 illustrates a pouch 820 being attached to the center of a cover 815. One of ordinary skill in the art could determine additional arrangements and still be within the scope of this invention.
FIG. 9 illustrates a flow chart showing a process of using the portable seat cover 110 according to one embodiment of the invention. The process starts at step 900. At step 910, the user lays the portable seat cover 110 over the seated portion 105 of the sitting place 100. The sitting place 100 can be a chair, a bench, the ground, a movie theatre seat, etc. Next, at step 920, the user sits on the cover 115 to prevent germs and dirt from touching the user or his clothes. The cover 115 also adds an insulation barrier from extreme temperature and moisture such as the ground or a car seat on a hot, cold, or wet day. When the user is done sitting, he can fold and stuff the cover 115 through the opening 125 of the pouch 120 at step 930. At step 940, the user pulls the drawstrings 130 tight and puts the pouch 120 in the user's purse or pocket to transport. The user may use the cord stopper 135 to secure the drawstrings 130 tight. The process ends at step 950.
It is to be recognized that depending on the embodiment, certain acts or events of any of the methods described herein can be performed in a different sequence, may be added, merged, or left out altogether (for example, not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the method). Moreover, in certain embodiments, acts or events may be performed concurrently, rather than sequentially.
It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein for purposes of exemplification, but is to be defined only by a fair reading of the appended claims, including the full range of equivalency to which each element thereof is entitled. Although the invention has been described with reference to the above examples, it will be understood that modifications and variations are encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:

a cover configured to cover a seated portion of a sitting place; and

a pouch attached to the cover, wherein the pouch comprises an opening configured to fit the cover through.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch is sewn to the cover.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch is attached to an edge of the cover.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises a drawstring.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the drawstring comprises a cord stopper.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch comprises an inside and an outside, wherein the inside is configured to be turned inside out.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the inside remains inside when the cover is stored in the pouch.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the inside is turned inside out when the cover is stored in the pouch.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover is configured to be reusable.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises cloth.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a quick drying material, a wicking material, and an anti-microbial fabric.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises a quick drying material, a wicking material, or an anti-microbial fabric.