Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SOFA AND CHAIR COVERS
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Serial
No. 61/671,457 filed July 13, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to covers for upholstered furniture as
well as upholstered
furniture in combination with such covers.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0003] Slipcovers are widely used to cover sofas, couches, and chairs when the
original
upholstery shows signs of wear or when a different or new look is desired for
the furniture.
Since upholstered furniture is constructed in different sizes and
configurations, a wide variety of
unfitted, semi-fitted and fully fitted fabric furniture covers are available.
Although unfitted
covers are inexpensive and can be used for many types and sizes of furniture,
it is difficult to
- make them look neat and hold their position on the furniture. Prior
attempts to handle this
problem have involved providing covers that are pulled tight by a drawstring
or an elastic band.
[0004] Conventional covers for sofas, couches, and chairs tend to shift during
use. This
makes it difficult to achieve a smooth finish, and to maintain the desired
look after the furniture
has been used.
[0005] Thus a need exists for a cover which can be applied to a variety of
furniture and
maintains its proper position and appearance on the item of furniture
throughout use of the
furniture and compression of the seat cushions thereof.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An aspect of the present invention is to provide a cover for covering
upholstered
furniture having a base section forming a substantially horizontal seat
cushion support, a cushion
supported by the cushion support, and a back extending from the base section
adjacent to an edge
of the cushion support. The cover includes a first panel configured to cover
at least a part of a
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top surface of the cushion of the upholstered furniture; and a second panel
connected to the first
panel and configured to cover at least a part of the back of the upholstered
furniture; wherein the
second panel is further configured to extend up and over the back of the
upholstered furniture
and includes a first section configured to be positioned adjacent to a forward
facing surface of the
back of the upholstered furniture and a second section having one or more
pockets and
configured to be positioned adjacent to a rearward facing surface of the back
of the upholstered
furniture.
[0007] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an upholstered
furniture
assembly including: an upholstered furniture piece having a base section
forming a substantially
horizontal seat cushion support, a cushion configured to be supported by the
cushion support, and
a back extending from the base section adjacent to an edge of the cushion
support; and a cover
including a first panel configured to cover at least a part of a top surface
of the cushion, and a
second panel connected to the first panel, wherein the second panel is
configured to extend up
and over the back of the upholstered furniture piece and includes a first
section configured to be
positioned adjacent to a forward facing surface of the back of the upholstered
furniture piece and
a second section having one or more pockets and configured to be positioned
adjacent to a
. rearward facing surface of the back of the upholstered furniture piece.
[0008] These and other aspects of the present invention will be more apparent
from the
following description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a sofa that can be covered with a cover
in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 illustrates a sofa cover in accordance with an embodiment of the
present
invention.
[0011] FIG. 3 illustrates an arm cover in accordance with an embodiment of the
present
invention.
[0012] FIG. 4 illustrates a sofa cover and arm covers in accordance with
another
embodiment of the present invention.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a sofa 10 that can be covered with a
cover in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The sofa 10 includes a
base section 11
and cushion section 12 which contains one or more seat cushions. The base
section 11 supports a
back 14 and a pair of arms 16 at opposite ends of the sofa. A substantially
horizontal cushion
support surface 18 is positioned between the arms. The cushion section 12
rests on this support
surface. The cushion section 12 can include one or more cushions that are
removable from the
base section 11.
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates a sofa cover 20 in accordance with an embodiment of
the present
invention. The sofa cover 20 includes a plurality of panels 22, 24, and 26
joined along an
intersection line 28. A first panel 22 (also called a cushion panel) is
configured to be positioned
on a top of the cushion of the sofa.
[0015] A second panel 24 (also called a back panel) is configured to extend up
and over a
back of the sofa. The back panel includes a first section 30, which can be
substantially flat, and a
second section 32 that includes one or more pockets 34. The first section 30
is configured to be
positioned adjacent to a forward facing surface of a back of the sofa, and the
second section 32
- configured to be positioned adjacent to a rearward facing surface of the
back of the sofa. In the
embodiment of FIG. 2, the pockets are positioned in a row along the width of
the second section
of the back panel of the sofa cover. Each of the pockets includes an open end
36 and a closed
end 38. The back panel has sufficient height that the second section of the
back portion extends
over the top of the back 14 of the sofa and is positioned adjacent to a
rearward facing surface of
the back 14 of the sofa, while the first section 30 of the back panel is
positioned adjacent to a
forward facing surface of the back 14 of the sofa. The panels can include a
self binding 40
adjacent to edges of the panels.
[0016] Objects such as magazines or any other type of weight can be inserted
into the
pockets. The weight of the objects in the pockets 34 results in a force that
counterbalances the
tendency of the cover 20 to be pulled down into the seat when people sit on
the sofa. Thus the
back portion of the cover remains taut and conforms to the surface of the back
of the sofa.
[0017] A third panel 26 is a flap that is configured to be positioned under
the seat cushion
of the sofa in order to further hold the cover 20 in place at the point where
the cushion meets the
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back of the sofa. The third panel can extend between the cushion and the
cushion support
surface of the sofa.
[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates an arm cover 42 that can be used in combination with
the cover
20 of FIG. 2. The arm cover includes a panel 44 that can be shaped to conform
to an arm of the
sofa. The arm cover can further include a self binding 46 adjacent to edges of
the arm cover.
[0019] FIG. 4 illustrates a sofa cover 50 and arm covers 52, 54 in accordance
with
another embodiment of the present invention. The sofa cover 50 includes first
and second panels
56 and 58 joined along an intersection line 60. A first panel 56 (also called
a cushion panel) is
configured to be positioned on a top of the cushion of the sofa. In this
embodiment, the first
panel has sufficient width such that a portion 62 of the first panel overlaps
a front edge of the
sofa cushion.
[0020] The second panel 58 (also called a back panel) is configured to extend
up and over
a back of the sofa. The back panel includes a first section 64, which can be
substantially flat, and
a second section 66 that includes one or more pockets 68. The first section 64
is configured to be
positioned adjacent to a forward facing surface of a back of the sofa, and the
second section 66
configured to be positioned adjacent to a rearward facing surface of the back
of the sofa. In the
- embodiment of FIG. 4, the pockets are positioned in a row along the width
of the second section
of the back panel of the sofa cover. Each of the pockets includes an open end
70 and a closed
end 72. The panels can include a self binding 74 adjacent to edges of the
panels.
[0021] When positioned on a sofa, the first section of the back panel is
positioned
adjacent to forward facing surface of the back of the sofa. The back portion
of the cover then
extends up and over the back of the sofa, such that the second section of the
cover is positioned
adjacent to a rearward facing surface of the back of the sofa, with the open
ends of the pockets
facing upward. Objects such as magazines or any other type of weight can be
placed in the
pockets. The weight of the objects in the pockets 68 results in a force that
counterbalances the
tendency of the cover 50 to be pulled down into the seat when people sit on
the sofa. Thus the
back portion of the cover remains taut and conforms to the surface of the back
of the sofa.
[0022] The arm covers may be removably attached to the arms of the sofa, and
they may
be easily pulled off The sofa cover and arm covers may be made from any
suitable type of
known material.
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[0023] In various aspects, the invention includes a cover that can be applied
to a sofa,
chair, or other upholstered furniture, and the combination of the cover and a
sofa, chair, or other
upholstered furniture. For example, the sofa of FIG. I can be used in
combination with the
covers of FIGs. 2 or 4.
[0024] Whereas particular embodiments of this invention have been described
above for
purposes of illustration, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that
numerous variations of
the details of the present invention may be made without departing from the
invention as defined
in the appended claims. For example, while the invention has been described in
terms of cover
as used in combination with a sofa, the cover can also be applied to chairs or
other furniture
having a back and a seat cushion.
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