US20040130192A1 - Upholstery covers for transporting canines - Google Patents

Abstract

Covers for removable installation in an automobile for protecting upholstery against damage while transported animals, particularly canines. The covers are portable and easily installed and removed from the vehicle. When the covers are removed from the vehicle, allergens shed by animals transported on the covers are also removed. The cover protects one or more seats of a vehicle wherein the vehicle seat comprises a seat and a backrest. The cover protects the seat and backrest from damage and/or the transfer of animal waste or hair to the seat upholstery while transporting animals thereon. The seat protector includes: (a) a generally rectangular backrest portion formed of a flexible fabric configured to substantially cover the seat backrest of the seat of a vehicle, the backrest portion having an upper edge and a lower edge; (b) a generally rectangular seat portion formed of a flexible fabric configured to substantially cover the vehicle seat, the seat portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge attached to the lower edge of the backrest portion; (c) a skirt portion made of a generally rectangular flexible fabric, the skirt portion having an upper edge attached to the leading edge of the seat portion and a lower edge; and (d) a plurality of straps having a free end and a fixed end wherein the fixed end of each strap is attached to the upper edge of the backrest portion. The cover may be further expanded to protect the rearward surface of a front seat and the floor between the front and rear seats.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• 1. Field of the Invention[0001]
• The present invention relates generally to seat covers for automobiles and more particularly to removable covers for protecting automobile seat covers from damage due to transporting animals such as dogs.[0002]
• 2. Prior Art[0003]
• Wallace, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,969,683, disclose a cushioned seat protector of resilient material has a protective fabric covering and is removably installed on existing vehicle seats for transporting pets and animals. The seat protector has a generally rectangular seat portion comprising a foam pad configured to substantially cover and be supported on the seat member of the existing vehicle seat and a generally rectangular back portion comprising a second foam pad configured to substantially cover and be supported against the backrest member of the vehicle seat. A generally rectangular tail portion extends rearwardly from the adjacent longitudinal edges of the back portion and seat portion. The tail portion is tucked into the gap between the seat member and backrest member of the existing vehicle seat to removably secure the seat protector to the existing vehicle seat. Straps may be provided on the seat protector back portion to be secured to a portion of the backrest member of the existing vehicle seat to removably secure the seat protector back portion against the existing vehicle seat backrest member. The soft resilient material on the bottom surfaces of the seat portion and back portion is exposed to frictionally engage the existing vehicle seat member and back member surfaces to reduce sliding of the seat protector on the existing seat surfaces when the weight of the animal is supported thereon. The seat protector has the disadvantage that it does not protect the forward-facing portion of the seat member and the floor of the vehicle between the front and rear seats of the vehicle. Further, the protector does not provide protection for the rearward-facing surface of the front seat. There is, therefore, a need for a cover that provides protection for an entire seat as well as exposed, animal accessible portions of adjacent seats[0004]
SUMMARY
• Portable, removable covers for minimizing damage to upholstery and/or collecting animal-associated allergens when transporting animals in an automobile are disclosed. The cover protects one or more seats of a vehicle wherein the vehicle seat comprises a seat and a backrest. The cover protects the seat and backrest from damage and/or the transfer of animal waste or hair to the seat upholstery while transporting animals thereon. The seat protector comprises: (a) a generally rectangular backrest portion formed of a flexible fabric configured to substantially cover the seat backrest of the seat of a vehicle, the backrest portion having an upper edge and a lower edge; and (b) a generally rectangular seat portion formed of a flexible fabric configured to substantially cover the vehicle seat, said seat portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge attached to the lower edge of the backrest portion; and (c) a skirt portion comprising a generally rectangular flexible fabric, said skirt portion having an upper edge attached to the leading edge of the seat portion and a lower edge; and (d) a plurality of straps having a free end and a fixed end wherein the fixed end of each strap is attached to the upper edge of the backrest portion.[0005]
• In another coverall embodiment of the invention, the coverall includes a seat protector as described immediately above, and further includes a floor and seatback section operable for covering the rear portion of a front seat of a vehicle wherein the front seat of the vehicle is forward of, and adjacent to the rear seat of the vehicle, and for substantially covering a floor between the front and rear vehicle seats.[0006]
• The features of the invention believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. However the invention itself, both as to organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof may be best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:[0007]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a rear seat cover.[0008]
• FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a coverall.[0009]
• FIG. 2[0010]ais a perspective view of a foam insert.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• Description of Rear Seatcover[0011]
• With reference now to FIG. 1, the body of the[0012]seatcover10 is constructed in three main sections: (a) a backrest section11; (b) aseat section12; and (c) a hanging, downwardly depending section13. Theseatcover10 is constructed of heavy cotton or polyester/cotton blends and is lined with waterproof nylon fabric. All three sections of the rear seatcover (i.e., the backrest section11, the seat section12 (where dogs or people sit) and the downwardly depending section or “skirt”13) are sewn together from top to bottom with two major seams.
• The backrest section[0013]11 is held in place by four or sixstraps14 which go around the seat headrests (not shown) and are held together with hook and loop tape15 and16 which is sewn onto thestraps14. Additional support is supplied by polypropylene tabs17 which are covered with suede leather and are attached by sewing to the backrest section11 of thecover10 on the sides, or on the top of the backrest portion. The cover backrest and seat portions are additionally secured to each other by fabric-covereddense foam inserts18 with a fabric “tail” (not visible in FIG. 1) which are sewn into the seam between the back and seat portions.
• At the bottom of the skirt[0014]13 there are several pockets19 disposed along the width of the skirt, from edge to edge. The pockets19 have hook and loop tape closures and are adapted to contain 4 oz. metal weights in each pocket. These metal weights help to keep thecover10 in place when thecover10 is attached to the rear seat of a vehicle.
• Description of the Coverall[0015]
• Turning now to FIG. 2, the[0016]coverall20 protects the rear seat, floor and the backside of the front seats of a vehicle. Thecoverall20 is preferably constructed in four main sections of unlined waterproof nylon fabric or of cotton or cotton/polyester fabric lined with nylon fabric. Thecoverall20 comprises a backrest section21, a seat section22 (where people or dogs sit) and askirt section23 that hangs down in front of the rear seat of a vehicle, afloor covering section24 that covers the floor in front of the rear seat, and twoseatback sections25 that rise vertically from thefloor covering section24 to the headrests of the front seats, thereby covering the backside of the front seats of the vehicle. The trailing edge24aof thefloor covering section24 is sewn to the leading edge23aof theskirt23, the length L of thefloor covering section24 depending upon the distance between the front and rear seats in the particular vehicle. A strip of hook andloop tape26 connects the twoseatback sections25. When the sections comprising thecoverall20 are sewn together, the approximate overall length of thecoverall20 between the top edge29 of the rear seat backrest21 and thetop edge30 of theseatback sections25 is about 96 inches. The width varies between 40 and 62 inches, depending on the car model.
• The rear seatback section[0017]21 and thefront seatback sections25 are secured to cover the forward surface of the rear seat and the rearward surface of the front seats of a vehicle respectively by means of a plurality ofstraps27; two straps for each headrest on the corresponding seat of the vehicle. Thestraps27 are sewn to thetop edges29 and30 of both the backrest section21 and thevertical seatback section25 respectively. The free ends of thestraps27 are releasably connected to one another with hook and loop tape sewn thereonto.
• The sides of the backrest section[0018]21 adjacent the top edge29 preferable have leather-coveredpolypropylene tabs31 on each side sewn onto the backrest section. These tabs provide additional stability and support to the cover. The coverall's backrest21 andseat22 portions are additionally secured in place with the use of fabric covered dense foam inserts32 having fabric “tails”33 which are sewn into the seam between the backrest and seat portions of thecoverall20. A foam insert32 is shown in detail in FIG. 2a. a fixed end34 of thetail33 is attached to the backrest21 andseat22 at their juncture with the tail and foam insert32, which comprises a compressible foam cylinder, extends rearwardly through the space between the rear seat and backrest of the vehicle. The foam insert, being elastically compressible, can be compressed to fit through the narrow space, thereafter expanding to securely hold the lower edge of the rear backrest cover and the seat cover securely to the rear seat of the vehicle.
• While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.[0019]

Claims (3)

What we claim is:

1. A seat upholstery protector for removable installation on a seat of a vehicle wherein the seat comprises a seat and a backrest, to protect the seat and backrest from damage and/or the transfer of animal waste or hair to the seat upholstery while transporting animals thereon, the seat protector comprising: (a) a generally rectangular backrest portion formed of a flexible fabric configured to substantially cover the seat backrest of the seat of a vehicle, said backrest portion having an upper edge and a lower edge; and (b) a generally rectangular seat portion formed of a flexible fabric configured to substantially cover the vehicle seat, said seat portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge attached to said lower edge of said backrest portion; and (c) a skirt portion comprising a generally rectangular flexible fabric, said skirt portion having an upper edge attached to said leading edge of said seat portion and a lower edge; and (d) a plurality of straps having a free end and a fixed end wherein said fixed end is attached to said upper edge of said backrest portion.

2. The seat upholstery protector in accordance withclaim 1 wherein said skirt portion has a plurality of pockets disposed thereon and integral therewith, said plurality of pockets containing a weighted object operable for pulling said lower edge of said skirt portion downwardly under the force of gravity.

3. A coverall protector for removable installation on a rear portion of a front seat and a rear seat of a vehicle wherein the front and rear seats of the vehicle comprise a seat and a backrest, to protect the back portion of the front seat, the rear seat and backrest, and a floor therebetween from damage and/or the transfer of animal waste or hair to the seat upholstery while transporting animals thereon, said coverall comprising:

(a) a generally rectangular backrest portion formed of a flexible fabric configured to substantially cover the seat backrest of the seat of a vehicle, said backrest portion having an upper edge and a lower edge; and

(b) a generally rectangular seat portion formed of a flexible fabric configured to substantially cover the seat backrest of the vehicle seat, said seat portion having a leading edge and a trailing edge attached to said lower edge of said backrest portion; and

(c) a skirt portion comprising a generally rectangular flexible fabric, said skirt portion having an upper edge attached to said leading edge of said seat portion and a lower edge; and

(d) a plurality of straps having a free end and a fixed end wherein said fixed end is attached to said upper edge of said backrest portion; and

(e) a floor covering section that hat substantially covers the floor between the rear seat and the front seat; said floor covering portion having a trailing end affixed to said lower edge of said skirt portion and a leading edge; and

(f) two seatback sections having a lower edge affixed to said leading edge of said floor covering section and an upper edge having a plurality of straps having a fixed end affixed thereto and a free end.

Images