U.S. patent application number 11/371095 was filed with the patent office on 2006-11-09 for slipcover with secured corners for upholstered furniture.
This patent application is currently assigned to MAYTEX MILLS, INC.. Invention is credited to David M. Baines, Harvey Bucovetsky, Dominick Leuci.
Application Number | 20060250003 11/371095 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37055117 |
Filed Date | 2006-11-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060250003 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Baines; David M. ; et
al. |
November 9, 2006 |
Slipcover with secured corners for upholstered furniture
Abstract
A one-piece or two-piece slipcover for covering upholstered
furniture has a gathering device at each corner to gather any
excess material of the slipcover to provide a neat, tailored look
to the slipcover. The gathering device may be an elastic strip, a
fabric tab having hook and loop fasteners secured to the surfaces
thereof, or a drawstring.
Inventors: |
Baines; David M.; (New
Canaan, CT) ; Leuci; Dominick; (Brooklyn, NY)
; Bucovetsky; Harvey; (Cote St. Luc, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FITZPATRICK CELLA HARPER & SCINTO
30 ROCKEFELLER PLAZA
NEW YORK
NY
10112
US
|
Assignee: |
MAYTEX MILLS, INC.
Yonkers
NY
|
Family ID: |
37055117 |
Appl. No.: |
11/371095 |
Filed: |
March 9, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60666507 |
Mar 29, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/224 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47C 31/11 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/224 |
International
Class: |
A47C 27/00 20060101
A47C027/00 |
Claims
1. A slipcover assembly for covering a piece of upholstered
furniture having a base section, a back extending from the base
section, and two arms extending from opposite ends of the base
section, the slipcover assembly comprising: a back portion for
covering the back of the piece of upholstered furniture; two side
portions for coving the two arms of the piece of upholstered
furniture; a bottom portion for covering the base section of the
piece of upholstered furniture; and at least two elastic strips,
each of the elastic strips being positioned on a respective corner
of the slipcover assembly.
2. The slipcover assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the
elastic strips extends horizontally around the respective
corner.
3. The slipcover assembly according to claim 2, wherein each
elastic strip is sewn onto an interior portion of the respective
corner.
4. The slipcover assembly according to claim 2, wherein the
slipcover assembly further includes a tunnel formed on an interior
portion of a corner of the slipcover body, and wherein the elastic
strip is positioned inside the tunnel.
5. The slipcover assembly according to claim 1, wherein the bottom
portion includes a cinch located at approximately the horizontal
center of the bottom portion.
6. The slipcover assembly according to claim 1, wherein the back
portion includes a cinch located at approximately the horizontal
center of the back portion.
7. A slipcover assembly for covering a piece of upholstered
furniture having a base section, a back extending from the base
section, and two arms extending from opposite ends of the base
section, the slipcover assembly comprising: a back portion for
covering the back of the piece of upholstered furniture; two side
portions for coving the two arms of the piece of upholstered
furniture; a bottom portion for covering the base section of the
piece of upholstered furniture; and at least two fabric tabs having
a hook and loop fastener on the surface thereof, each of the fabric
tabs being positioned on a respective corner of the slipcover.
8. The slipcover assembly according to claim 7, wherein each of the
fabric tabs extends horizontally around the respective corner.
9. A slipcover assembly for covering a piece of upholstered
furniture having a base section, a back extending from the base
section, and two arms extending from opposite ends of the base
section, the slipcover assembly comprising: a back portion for
covering the back of the piece of upholstered furniture; two side
portions for coving the two arms of the piece of upholstered
furniture; a bottom portion for covering the base section of the
piece of upholstered furniture; a tunnel formed on an interior
portion of at least two corners of the slipcover body; and a
drawstring positioned in each of the at least two corners of the
slipcover body, the drawstring having stopper means slidably
positioned thereon.
10. The slipcover assembly according to claim 9, wherein the
stopper means is a duffle clip.
11. A slipcover assembly for covering a piece of upholstered
furniture having a base section, a back extending from the base
section, two arms extending from opposite ends of the base section,
and at least one removable seat cushion supported on the base
section, the slipcover assembly comprising: a back portion for
covering the back of the piece of upholstered furniture; two side
portions for coving the two arms of the piece of upholstered
furniture; a bottom portion for covering the base section of the
piece of upholstered furniture; at least two elastic strips, each
of the elastic strips being positioned on a respective corner of
the slipcover assembly; and a separate cushion slipcover for
covering the at least one removable seat cushion.
12. The slipcover assembly according to claim 11, wherein each of
the elastic strips extends horizontally around the respective
corner.
13. The slipcover assembly according to claim 12, wherein each
elastic strip is sewn onto an interior portion of the respective
corner.
14. The slipcover assembly according to claim 12, wherein the
slipcover assembly further includes a tunnel formed on an interior
portion of a corner of the slipcover body, and wherein the elastic
strip is positioned inside the tunnel.
15. The slipcover assembly according to claim 11, wherein the
bottom portion includes a cinch located at approximately the
horizontal center of the bottom portion.
16. The slipcover assembly according to claim 11, wherein the back
portion includes a cinch located at approximately the horizontal
center of the back portion.
17. A slipcover assembly for covering a piece of upholstered
furniture having a base section, a back extending from the base
section, two arms extending from opposite ends of the base section,
and at least one removable seat cushion supported on the base
section, the slipcover assembly comprising: a back portion for
covering the back of the piece of upholstered furniture; two side
portions for coving the two arms of the piece of upholstered
furniture; a bottom portion for covering the base section of the
piece of upholstered furniture; at least two fabric tabs having a
hook and loop fastener on the surface thereof, each of the fabric
tabs being positioned on a respective corner of the slipcover; and
a separate cushion slipcover for covering the at least one
removable seat cushion.
18. The slipcover assembly according to claim 17, wherein each of
the fabric tabs extends horizontally around the respective
corner.
19. A slipcover assembly for covering a piece of upholstered
furniture having a base section, a back extending from the base
section, two arms extending from opposite ends of the base section,
and at least one removable seat cushion supported on the base
section the slipcover assembly comprising: a back portion for
covering the back of the piece of upholstered furniture; two side
portions for coving the two arms of the piece of upholstered
furniture; a bottom portion for covering the base section of the
piece of upholstered furniture; a tunnel formed on an interior
portion of at least two corners of the slipcover body; a drawstring
positioned in each of the at least two corners of the slipcover
body, the drawstring having stopper means slidably positioned
thereon; and a separate cushion slipcover for covering the at least
one removable seat cushion.
20. The slipcover assembly according to claim 19, wherein the
stopper means is a duffle clip.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/666,507, filed Mar. 29, 2005, the entire
contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] I. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention relates to the covering of upholstered sofas
and more particularly it concerns novel coverings for upholstered
sofas and chairs as well as upholstered sofas and chairs as so
covered. The slipcovers use a gathering device, such as an elastic
strip, a hook and loop fastener (e.g., Velcro.RTM.), or a
drawstring, in the corners, front, and back of the slipcover, so as
to eliminate the need for traditional slipcover ties to hold the
slipcover in place and to create a neat, tailored appearance.
[0004] II. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Conventional slipcovers, while supposedly relatively easy to
use, present the user with several functional and aesthetic
problems. Use of a slipcover requires the user to position the
slipcover over the piece of furniture to be covered. With a
conventional one-piece slipcover, a single unit of material covers
both the seat cushions and the base section of the piece of
furniture. When the slipcover is in place, the user is then
required to tuck any excess material between, for example, the base
section and the cushions, to help delineate the contours and shape
of the piece of furniture.
[0006] While the user may be able to tuck material under a cushion
and/or between the base section and a cushion, there is no suitable
location for tucking or stowing excess material along the sides of
a piece of furniture, particularly at the corners of the base
section. As a result, conventional slipcovers have incorporated
ties at the corners. The ties are lengths of fabric extending from
the seams. These ties allow the user to gather excess material
along the base of the furniture and secure the gathered material at
the corner.
[0007] Conventional slipcover ties present several problems to the
user. One problem is that the appearance of the ties is generally
not aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, the ties are subject to
becoming loosened and/or untied, which is a problem because the
user must spend considerable time and effort retying the ties.
Additional time and effort are needed to ensure that the ties are
tied in a manner that provides a balanced look so that the
slipcover does not appear sloppy. Further, if the user of the
slipcover has children or pets, the tendency of the ties to become
loosened and/or untied increases, which may require the user to tie
the ties multiple times a day. Additionally, when untied, there is
a greater chance that the slipcover ties will become dirty and
stained, detracting from the overall appearance of the slipcover.
Moreover, if a consumer does not find the look of ties appealing,
the user is limited in his or her options for selecting an
appealing slipcover. Finally, because upholstered furniture comes
in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, it can be difficult and time
consuming to obtain a proper and secure fit with a conventional
slipcover.
[0008] The problems presented with the use of ties is not new. In
fact, there have been attempts to create slipcovers that can
provide a tailored look without using ties. For example, U.S. Pat.
No. 6,832,812 to Riley et al. describes a slipcover in which
material at the corners is folded flat against an upholstered piece
of furniture. The folded material is then placed underneath a wrap
band. The wrap band begins at an exterior position along a lower,
front corner, passes through a tunnel formed along a side of the
slipcover, emerges from the tunnel and terminates at an exterior
position along a lower, rear corner. Since the folded material is
placed under the wrap band at each corner, a mechanism is needed to
cover the wrap band, particularly at the front corners, so as to
make the slipcover aesthetically pleasing. Accordingly, the Riley
et al. slipcover utilizes a cover skirt that can be affixed to a
corner of the slipcover. Use of the cover skirt, however, presents
additional problems. For instance, the cover skirt itself may not
be aesthetically pleasing to the user, and the cover skirt
frequently may become detached from the slipcover, exposing the
wrap bands.
[0009] An additional slipcover design that does not utilize ties is
the design described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,407 to Tell. The Tell
slipcover incorporates channels formed along the seams connecting
various panels of the slipcover. In each channel is a drawstring
which may be utilized to change the dimensions of the slipcover
when placed on a piece of furniture. The numerous drawstrings
incorporated into the Tell slipcover, however, can make adjustment
of the slipcover difficult, particularly since there are three or
four drawstrings intersecting at various points along the
slipcover.
[0010] Therefore, what is needed is a slipcover that is easy to
use, aesthetically pleasing, and that provides a neat, tailored
appearance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] Generally, the present invention is directed to a one-piece
or two-piece slipcover for covering upholstered furniture.
[0012] One aspect the present invention is directed to a slipcover
assembly for covering a piece of upholstered furniture. The
slipcover assembly includes a back portion for covering the back of
the piece of upholstered furniture, two side portions for coving
the two arms of the piece of upholstered furniture, a bottom
portion for covering the base section of the piece of upholstered
furniture, and at least two elastic strips, each of the elastic
strips being positioned on a respective corner of the slipcover
assembly.
[0013] Embodiments of the present invention may include one or more
of the following features. Each of the elastic strips extend
horizontally around the respective corner. Each elastic strip is
sewn onto an interior portion of the respective corner.
Additionally, a tunnel can be formed on an interior portion of a
corner of the slipcover body, and the elastic strip positioned
inside the tunnel.
[0014] The slipcover assembly may further include a cinch located
at approximately the center of the bottom portion.
[0015] In another embodiment, the cinch may be located at
approximately the center of the back portion.
[0016] In another aspect of the present invention, the slipcover
assembly includes a back portion for covering the back of the piece
of upholstered furniture, two side portions for coving the two arms
of the piece of upholstered furniture, a bottom portion for
covering the base section of the piece of upholstered furniture,
and at least two fabric tabs having a hook and loop fastener on the
surface thereof, each of the fabric tabs being positioned on a
respective corner of the slipcover.
[0017] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the
slipcover assembly includes a back portion for covering the back of
the piece of upholstered furniture, two side portions for coving
the two arms of the piece of upholstered furniture, a bottom
portion for covering the base section of the piece of upholstered
furniture, a tunnel formed on an interior portion of at least two
corners of the slipcover body, and a drawstring positioned in each
of the at least two corners of the slipcover body.
[0018] In still yet another aspect of the present invention, the
slipcover assembly may further include a separate cushion seat
cover for covering at least one removable seat cushion of the
upholstered piece of furniture.
[0019] These and other objects, aspects, features and advantages of
the present invention will become apparent from the following
detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a slipcovered sofa secured
with elastic at the corners under the arms.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a view of the back of a slipcovered sofa with an
elastic cinch in the center of the back of the slipcover.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a slipcovered sofa having an
elastic cinch in the center of the front, forming an inverted box
pleat.
[0023] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a slipcovered sofa secured
with Velcro.RTM.-lined fabric strips on the corners under the
arms.
[0024] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the underside of a slipcover
configured to be fastened using a drawstring running through a
tunnel formed on the interior side of the slipcover.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] The slipcovers of the present invention provide a clean,
tailored appearance through the use of elastic, drawstrings, or any
other suitable gathering device located at the corners under the
arms, and/or at the center of the front or back of the
slipcover.
[0026] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, a sofa 1 is covered with a
two-piece slipcover. The sofa has a base section which supports a
back, a pair of arms at opposite ends of the sofa. The base section
also serves as a horizontal cushion support surface between the
arms. The slipcover of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 has a base
section slipcover 2 and a separate cushion slipcover 4. The base
section slipcover 2 is configured to fit over the base section of a
piece of upholstered furniture, and accordingly has a bottom
portion 3, a back portion 5, two side portions 6 at opposite ends
of the base section of the slipcover 2, and a portion 10 for
covering the horizontal cushion support surface (see FIG. 3). The
various slipcover configurations discussed below are equally
applicable to other types of upholstered furniture including
chairs, love seats, etc.
[0027] Additionally, although the slipcover of the embodiment
depicted in FIG. 1 includes a base section slipcover 2 and a
separate cushion slipcover 4, the invention is not so limited. For
instance, the present invention also includes a one-piece slipcover
that covers both the base section and the seat cushions of a piece
of upholstered furniture. A one-piece slipcover would have the same
configuration as the base section slipcover 2, except the portion
10 for covering the horizontal support surface would be positioned
higher vertically so that that section of the slipcover could cover
the seat cushions positioned on the horizontal cushion support
surface of the furniture.
[0028] With the slipcover depicted in FIG. 1, the separate cushion
slipcover 4 may be, for example, in the form of an elongated bag.
The separate cushion slipcover 4 may have an opening along the back
of the slipcover to allow one or more removable seat cushions to be
placed inside the slipcover. (Of course, the position of the
opening is not limited. For example, the opening may be along the
side of the slipcover.) Indeed, depending on the piece of furniture
as many as three, four, or more cushions of various shapes (e.g.,
rectangular or T-shaped) may be placed within the separate cushion
slipcover 4, and cushions of different shapes may be simultaneously
contained within the separate cushion slipcover 4. Once the
removable seat cushions have been placed in the separate cushion
slipcover, the elongated opening may be closed by any suitable
fastening mechanism, such as a zipper, buttons, or a hook and loop
faster (e.g., Velcro.RTM., and any excess material of the separate
cushion slipcover may be folded under the cushions so as to conform
the shape of the separate cushion slipcover to the shape of the
removable seat cushions contained therein. Alternatively, the
slipcovered cushions may be placed on the base section of the piece
of furniture, and any excess material may be tucked between the
cushions and the base section. Either way, the result is a clean,
tailored appearance to the slipcovered removable seat cushions.
[0029] Returning to FIG. 1, the corners of the slipcover, near the
point at which the arms join the base section are provided with
horizontal strips of elastic 7. The strips of elastic 7 function as
a gathering device to gather any excess slipcover material, to help
provide a clean, tailored appearance to the slipcover. The
dimensions of the elastic are not limited to any particular size;
however, preferably, the elastic strips 7 measure approximately
12-14 inches in length when pulled flat and approximately 1.25
inches in width. The elastic may be secured to the slipcover by any
suitable means. For example, the elastic may be sewn onto the
interior portion of the slipcover or the elastic strips may be
positioned inside a tunnel formed on the inside of the slipcover.
Additionally, when, for example, the elastic strips measure 12-14
inches in length (when stretched), each corner of the slipcover has
approximately 12-14 inches of fabric taken out, resulting in a
finished gathering of approximately 6 inches. The elasticized
corners obviate the need for slipcover ties and provide a secure
fit for the slipcover. The corners also make the slipcover easier
to install, because the slipcover securely assumes and maintains a
proper position upon being pulled over the sofa or chair arms due
to the action of the elastic straps.
[0030] FIG. 2 depicts another embodiment of the present invention.
In this embodiment, the back of the base section of the slipcover 2
includes a back cinch 8 to help maintain a neat, tailored look.
Horizontally, the back cinch 8 is positioned at roughly the center
of the back. Vertically, the back cinch 8 is positioned generally
at the same position as the elastic strips described with reference
to FIG. 1. The back cinch 8 is preferably an elastic strip, but
other suitable means (e.g., a drawstring) for providing a cinch may
be used. When an elastic strip is used as the back cinch 8, the
dimensions of the elastic strip are not limited to any particular
size, but the length is preferably approximately 12-14 inches when
the elastic is pulled flat. The elastic may be secured to the
slipcover in any suitable manner. For example, the elastic may be
sewn onto the inside of the slipcover or may be secured into a
tunnel formed on the inside of the slipcover. The cinch may be used
in conjunction with the elastic corners 7 (as shown in FIG. 2) or
may be used alone.
[0031] FIG. 3 depicts yet another embodiment of the present
invention. In this embodiment, the base section slipcover 2
includes a front cinch 9 in the front center of the sofa. The cinch
is positioned along the horizontal cushion support surface 10, just
under the front of the cushion section of the sofa. In this
embodiment, the cinch forms an inverted box pleat on the front
skirt portion of the slipcover. Of course, other types of pleats or
other methods of gathering the fabric may be used without departing
from the scope of the present invention.
[0032] The front cinch 9 may be of any suitable type, but,
preferred is an elastic cinch. The elastic may be secured to the
slipcover in any suitable manner. For example, the elastic may be
sewn onto the inside of the slipcover or may be secured inside a
tunnel formed on the inside of the slipcover. The dimensions of the
elastic for the front cinch 9 are not limited to any particular
size. Preferably, however, the elastic is approximately 12-14
inches in length when pulled flat. The front cinch 9 may be used in
conjunction with any of the back cinch 8 and elastic corners 7, as
discussed above, or with any of the embodiments discussed
below.
[0033] FIG. 4 depicts yet another embodiment of the present
invention. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment depicted in
FIG. 1, except that the elastic corners 7 of that embodiment have
been replaced by fabric tabs 11 having hook and loop fasteners
(e.g., Velcro.RTM.) on the surfaces thereof. Two tabs of
Velcro.RTM. may be secured to the corner of the slipcover by any
suitable means at a distance apart from each other of approximately
12 inches (or any other suitable distance). Once the slipcover has
been placed over the piece of furniture, the material at the corner
can be gathered. Then, the fabric tabs 11 having a length of
approximately 6 inches and a width of approximately 2 inches mate
with the Velcro.RTM. tabs located on the slipcover. That is, if the
Velcro.RTM. tabs on the slipcover have loops, then the Velcro.RTM.
on the fabric tabs 11 have hooks. In this regard, the fabric tabs
11 serve as a gathering device for securing the excess material of
the slipcover without the need for ties. Of course, any sort of
fastener may be used to fasten the tabs, such as snaps, buttons,
zippers, etc. It should be noted too, that the features of the
embodiment depicted in FIG. 4 may be used in conjunction with or
instead of any of the features of any of the other embodiments
described above or below.
[0034] FIG. 5 depicts yet another embodiment of the present
invention. In this embodiment, a drawstring 12 is used in place of
elastic or fabric tabs at a corner of the slipcover. As depicted in
FIG. 5, the drawstring 12 is placed in a tunnel formed on the
underside of the fabric of the slipcover. One end of the drawstring
12 is secured at an end of the tunnel, and the other end extends
beyond an opening 13 in the tunnel. The end that extends from the
tunnel is formed into a knot 14. The knot 14 is larger than the
opening 13 in the tunnel so as to prevent the drawstring 12 from
completely entering the tunnel. Positioned on the drawstring
between the opening 13 of the tunnel and the knot 14 is an
adjustable stopper 15. Although the type of adjustable stopper 15
is not limited to a particular structure, a duffle clip, which is a
spring tension device that has a hole for inserting the drawstring,
is preferred. The duffle clip may be made of any suitable material
such as, for example, plastic. Additionally, the duffle clip may be
of any suitable shape such as, for example, cylindrical.
[0035] Operation of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5 is relatively
straightforward. Once the slipcover is properly positioned over the
piece of furniture, the user slides the duffle clip (or other
suitable stopper) along the length of the drawstring 12. In the
process, the fabric of the slipcover is gathered. Once the desired
fit of the slipcover on the corner has been achieved, the user
releases the duffle clip, finishing the process. The result is a
neat, tailored, and customized look to that particular corner of
the slipcover. The user then repeats the process for the remaining
corners of the slipcover containing a drawstring. It should be
noted, too, that the features of the embodiment depicted in FIG. 5
may be used in conjunction with or instead of any of the features
of any of the other embodiments described above. For example, a
drawstring as depicted in FIG. 5 may be used in place of the
elastic used for the back cinch 8 depicted in FIG. 2 or the front
cinch 9 depicted in FIG. 3.
[0036] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have
been described above in detail, it will be understood that the
descriptions are merely for purposes of illustration. Various
modifications of and equivalent structures corresponding to the
disclosed aspects of the preferred embodiments in addition to those
described above may be made by those skilled in the art without
departing from the spirit of the present invention which is defined
in the following claims, the scope of which is to be accorded the
broadest interpretation so as to encompass such modifications and
equivalent structures.
* * * * *