Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE:
[0001] Self-fitting Slip Cover for Seat Cushion
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to the covering of upholstered seat cushions and
more particularly it concerns novel self-fitting coverings for seat cushions
for
upholstered chairs, loveseats and sofas.
BACKG ROU N D
[0003] A particular problem involved in providing slipcovers to accommodate
upholstered seat cushions of different sizes and configurations results from
the fact
that the seat cushions of such furniture are made with widely different
shapes,
sizes and thicknesses. Prior attempts to handle this problem have involved
cushion
covers that are pulled tight by a drawstring or the excess material is shoved
under
the cushion (U.S. Patent No. 7,210,739). However, these lack versatility, and
they
are not suited for use with multiple cushions such as in sofas. Also there is
no
assurance that the cushion covers will remain taut after someone has sat on
the
furniture.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0004] The present invention provides a self-fitting slip cover configured to
fit
various sized seat cushions, said seat cushion having a top surface, a bottom
surface, opposed side surfaces, and opposed end surfaces, said self-fitting
slip
cover comprising: a resilient fabric pouch comprising an expandable opening
adapted for receiving the seat cushion, and an elastic band extending along
the
peripheral edge of the opening of the resilient fabric pouch; said elastic
band having
an unstretched state and a stretched state; wherein said resilient fabric
pouch is
sized and configured to tautly cover the top surface, opposed side surface and
opposed end surfaces of the seat cushion and a portion of said bottom surface
of
the seat cushion when the seat cushion is received in the slip cover and the
elastic
band is in the unstretched state.
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[0005] In an embodiment, the resilient fabric pouch comprises a channel
formed by a hem along the peripheral edge of the opening for receiving the
elastic
band.
[0006] In an embodiment, the resilient fabric pouch is formed from a single
sheet of fabric having a top edge portion which is folded and sewn to form
said
channel.
[0007] In an embodiment, the resilient fabric pouch is formed of a body
portion and an outwardly extended skirt portion attached to the peripheral
edge of
said body portion, wherein said body portion is sized and configured to cover
the
top surface of the seat cushion and said skirt portion is sized and configured
to
cover the opposed side surfaces and opposed end surfaces of the seat cushion
and
at least a portion of the bottom surface of the seat cushion.
[0008] In an embodiment, the slip cover is sized and configured to fit a box
style seat cushion.
[0009] In an embodiment, the slip cover is sized and configured to fit a T-
shaped seat cushion.
[00010] In an embodiment, the slip cover is sized and configured to fit one or
more seat cushions.
[00011] In an embodiment, the slip cover is sized and configured to fit a
combination of box style seat cushions and T-shaped cushions.
[00012] In an embodiment, the slip cover is foldable to accommodate a box
style seat cushion or a T-shaped seat cushion.
[00013] In an embodiment, the slip cover is invertible to cover cushions with
a
first side exposed or an opposite side exposed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[00014] FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a self-fitting cushion cover according to
invention configured for covering a box-style seat cushion as shown in
outline;
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[00015] FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a self-fitting cushion cover according to
the
invention configured for covering a left sided T-style seat cushion as shown
in
outline;
[00016] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a self fitting cushion cover according to
the
invention configured for covering a right sided T-style seat cushion as shown
in
outline;
[00017] FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a self-fitting cushion cover according to
the
invention configured for covering a left sided T-style seat cushion, box-style
seat
cushion, and a right sided T-style seat cushion, the cushions being as shown
in
outline;
[00018] Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of a box-style seat cushion covered with
the self-fitting cushion cover according to the invention;
[00019] Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of a left sided T-style seat cushion
covered
with the self-fitting cushion cover according to the invention;
[00020] Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of a right sided T-style seat cushion
covered with the self-fitting cushion cover according to the invention;
[00021] Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of a left sided T-style seat cushion, box-
style seat cushion, and a right sided T-style seat cushion covered with the
self-
fitting cushion cover according to the invention; and
[00022] Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of the seat cushion illustrated in Fig.8
configured for use with a three box-style seat cushions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00023] As used herein, the term "seat cushion" refers to a cushion from any
piece of furniture that is designed to provide a place for a person to sit,
and
includes without limitation chairs, sofas, couches, love seats, lounges, etc.
Slipcovers can be used over a seat cushion to protect the seat cushion from
dirt and
damage and to improve its appearance. As seat cushions come in widely
different
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shapes, sizes and thicknesses, it is often necessary to obtain custom made
slip
covers which are made in accordance with the exact measurements of the seat
cushion to be covered in order to ensure a proper fit on the seat cushion and
a neat
appearance. Because custom slip covers are made to measure, they are typically
expensive and are not useful with seat cushions of differing dimensions.
[00024] An alternative to custom slip covers are less expensive, mass
produced, ready-made slip covers which are designed to fit over a variety of
different sized seat cushions. To accommodate varying sized seat cushions,
ready-
made slip covers are designed to loosely fit over a seat cushion and include a
drawstring or elastic fasteners to gather the slip cover tightly over the seat
cushion.
While the use of drawstrings or elastic fasteners allow the slip cover to be
adjusted
to better conform to the shape of the seat cushion, because the slip cover is
not
sized specifically for the seat cushion being covered, excess material must be
carefully folded, draped or tucked under the seat cushion to ensure a neat
appearance. However, one of the problems associated with prior art ready made
slipcovers is that they may pull away from the seat they are covering when a
person sits on the seat. Such pulling may cause the cover to fall off the
seat, to
gather, or to become misaligned, thereby degrading the effectiveness of the
cover
as well as the aesthetic appearance and comfort of the seat. Accordingly, it
is often
necessary to reposition the ready-made slip cover on the seat cushion after
each
time a person sits on the seat.
[00025] The present invention provides a ready-made self-fitting slip cover
which can be used with seat cushions of varying size and shape. As used
herein,
the term "self-fitting slip covers" means slip covers which do not require the
use of
manually adjusted drawstrings, elastic fasteners or other similar fasteners,
in order
for the slip cover to conform to the size and shape of the seat cushion and in
order
for the slip cover to have a neat appearance on the seat cushion. In use, the
self-
fitting slip cover is resistant to misalignment with the seat cushion and does
not
require readjustment each time a person sits on the covered seat cushion.
[00026] In one embodiment, provided is a self-fitting slip cover configured to
fit various sized seat cushions, said seat cushion having a top surface, a
bottom
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surface, opposed side surfaces, and opposed end surfaces, said self-fitting
slip
cover comprising: a resilient fabric pouch comprising an expandable, opening
adapted for receiving the seat cushion, and an elastic band extending along
the
peripheral edge of the opening of the resilient fabric pouch; said elastic
band having
an unstretched state and a stretched state; wherein said resilient fabric
pouch is
sized and configured to tautly cover the top surface, opposed side surface and
opposed end surfaces of the seat cushion and a portion of said bottom surface
of
the seat cushion when the seat cushion is received in the slip cover and the
elastic
band is in the stretched state.
[00027] In use, the expandable opening of self-fitting slip cover is expanded
by
stretching the elastic band and the slip cover fitted over the seat cushion
such that
the top surfaces, opposed side surfaces, and opposed end surfaces of the seat
cushion is covered by the slip cover. Once the slip cover is positioned over
the seat
cushion, the elasticized hem extends over a portion of the bottom surface of
the
seat cover and will hold the slip cover in tautly in place. Once the slip
cover is
stretched over the seat cushion, no further manual manipulation such as but
not
limited to folding, draping or tucking excess material, is required in order
to obtain
a neat, taut appearance.
[00028] The self-fitting slip cover of the present invention is intended to be
used with seat cushions of varying shapes and sizes.
[00029] In one embodiment, the self-fitting slip cover may be sized and
configured for use with individual seat cushions.
[00030] Fig.1 shows a self-fitting slip cover 10 for use with a box style seat
cushion 18a as shown in the dashed lines. Fig. 5 shows the underside of box
style
seat cushion 18a and the self-fitting slip cover 10.
[00031] Fig. 2 shows a self-fitting slip cover 12 for use with a left sided T-
style
seat cushion 18b as shown in the dashed lines. Fig. 6 shows the underside of
the
T- style seat cushion 18b and the self-fitting slip cover 12.
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[00032] Fig. 3 shows a self-fitting slip cover 14 for use with a right sided T-
style seat cushion 18c as shown in the dashed lines. Fig. 7 shows the
underside of
the T- style seat cushion 18c and the self-fitting slip cover 14.
[00033] In another embodiment, the self-fitting slip cover may be sized and
configured for use with one or a plurality of seat cushions. For example, the
self-
fitting slip cover may be sized and configured for use with seat cushions
typical of a
three cushion sofa. Fig. 4 shows a self-fitting slip cover 16 for use with a
combination of a left sided T-style seat cushion 18b, a box style seat cushion
18a
and a right sided T-style seat cushion 18c (cushions shown in the dashed
lines).
Fig. 8 shows the underside of the left sided T- style seat cushion 18b, box
style seat
cushion 18a, right sided T-style seat cushion 18c and the self-fitting slip
cover 16.
It will be appreciated that the self-fitting slip cover is configured for use
for T-style
seat cushions and can also be rotated and used with shaped cushions, such as
box
style seat cushions. Each outward facing surface of the self-fitting slip
cover 16 is
inverted and/or rotated (i.e. no backing material, hems, etc. showing)
allowing the
slip cover to be rotated to suit any style of seat cushion. This is in
contrast, to prior
art slip covers which generally can only be used in a single orientation as
they have
only one finished outward facing side. As shown in Fig.9, the T-extensions 22
of
the slip cover 16 can be tucked under the seat cushion when not in use.
[00034] It will be appreciated that the exact dimensions of the slip cover
will
depend on the range of sizes and shapes of the seat cushions to be covered. It
will
be appreciated that the slip cover will be sized such that the fabric pouch is
sufficiently large enough to cover at least a portion of a bottom surface of a
seat
cushion at the top end of the range of sizes and that the fabric pouch will
have an
expandable opening capable of contracting to retain a seat cushion at the
bottom
end of the range of sizes.
[00035] The self-fitting slip cover can be made of any suitable resilient
fabric
such as woven or knit fabrics. The resilient fabric pouch may be formed from a
single piece of fabric having a channel formed by a hem along the peripheral
edge
of the fabric. The channel may be formed by folding down the outer peripheral
edge of the fabric for form the hem which is sewn in place. In this
embodiment,
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the elastic band contained in the channel in the unstretched state will cause
the
outer peripheral edge of the piece of fabric to be gathered together to define
an
expandable opening through which the seat cushion is inserted and a cavity for
receiving the seat cushion.
[00036] Typically, a 1-inch wide elastic band is encased in the channel and is
not sewn to the hem. The length of the elastic band used will depend on the
dimensions of the seat cushion to be covered. For slip covers intended to
cover a
single seat cushion, elastic band length is generally about 36-inches. For
slip
covers intended to cover multiple seat cushions, such as for a sofa, the
elastic band
is generally about 82-inches in length.
[00037] In another embodiment, the fabric pouch may be formed from multiple
pieces of fabric to provide appearance more similar to custom fitted slip
covers.
The fabric pouch may comprise a body portion and an attached skirt portion.
The
body portion will be sized and configured cover at least the top surface of
the seat
cushion to be covered. The skirt portion which extends outwardly from the body
portion is sized and configured to cover the opposing side and opposed end
surfaces of the seat cushion and further extends under the seat cushion to
cover at
least a portion of the bottom surface of the seat cushion. In this embodiment,
the
skirt portion may comprise a channel formed by a hem along the peripheral edge
of
the opening for receiving the elastic band. The use of multiple pieces of
fabric to
form the pouch is especially useful for cushions having an irregular shape
such as
T-styled seat cushions.
[00038] Although the invention has been described with reference to
illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not
limited to
these precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be
effected therein by one skilled in the art. All such changes and modifications
are
intended to be encompassed in the appended claims.
