TWO-STAGE PROTECTIVE CAR SEAT COVER FOR CHILD AND INFANT SAFETY CHAIRS

• US 20070210627A1
• Filed: 05/14/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael Henley, Thomas Mcconnell
• Original Assignee: Michael Henley, Thomas Mcconnell
• Inventors: McConnell, Thomas, Henley, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,681,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/224
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/28 Seats readily mountable on, and dismountable from, existing seats or other parts of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/60 Removable protective coverings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/481 Method

Abstract

There is provided a seat cover for accommodating a child safety chair upon a seat. The seat cover comprises a lower protective member which is disposable upon a seating portion of the seat. This lower member can accommodate the child safety chair when positioned in a rearward-facing direction to prevent it from permanently compressing the seating portion. The seat cover further comprises an upper protective member that is disposable against a seat-back portion of the seat. This upper member is selectively attachable with and detachable from the lower member. By doing so, the upper member can further prevent the chair from permanently compressing the seat-back portion when it is repositioned in a forward-facing direction and placed in contact therewith.

Claims

1. A method of reducing and uniformly distributing compressive forces on an automobile seat resulting from the presence of a child safety seat situated thereon, the method comprising:

positioning a lower protective member on a seat bottom section of an automobile seat, the lower protective member comprising a lower cushioned portion and being configured to generally conform to the shape of an adjacent surface of an automobile seat; and

wherein the lower protective member is configured to be positioned on an automobile seat when a child safety seat has a rear-facing or a forward-facing orientation;

positioning an upper protective member on a seat back section of an automobile seat, the upper protective member comprising an upper cushioned portion and being configured to generally conform to the shape of an adjacent surface of an automobile seat;

wherein the upper protective member is separable from and non-integral with the lower protective member and is configured to be positioned on an automobile seat when a child safety seat has a forward-facing orientation;

wherein the upper protective member remains generally vertically against a seat back section of an automobile seat when no child safety seat is situated thereon;

wherein the upper protective member is configured to be selectively positioned adjacent to the lower protective member; and

selectively removing the upper protective member, leaving only the lower protective member on a seat bottom section when a rear-facing child safety seat is positioned on the lower protective member.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the upper protective member comprises an upper end, the upper end extending to a height along a seat back section so as to prevent any contact between the seat back section and a forward-facing child safety.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a rigid or semi-rigid material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the lower protective member comprises a tactile material configured to provide frictional resistance between the lower protective member and an adjacent surface of a child safety seat.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises at least one folding line configured to permit the lower protective member or the upper protective member to generally conform to the shape of an adjacent surface of an automobile seat.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a protective covering material.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the protective covering material comprises nylon fabric.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the lower protective member comprises a peripheral edge for spill containment.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the lower protective member comprises a pocket, the pocket configured to hold at least one item.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of attaching the lower protective member to the upper protective member.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the lower protective member is configured to contact the lower protective member when a child safety seat is portioned on the seat cover in a forward-facing orientation.

12. A method of reducing compressive forces on an automobile seat resulting from the presence of a child safety seat positioned thereon, the method comprising:

providing a lower protective member of a seat cover upon a seat bottom section of an automobile seat, the lower protective member comprising a lower cushioned portion and being configured to be situated between a child safety seat and a seat bottom section of an automobile seat when a child safety seat is placed on the lower protective member in a rear-facing orientation;

positioning the lower protective member on a seat bottom section of an automobile seat;

placing a child safety seat at least partially against the lower protective member of the seat cover in a rear-facing orientation;

compressively securing a child safety seat onto the lower protective member;

distributing the compressive forces substantially uniformly upon a seat bottom section of an automobile seat;

providing an upper protective member of the seat cover upon an seat back section of an automobile seat, the upper protective member comprising an upper cushioned portion and being configured to be situated between a child safety seat and a seat back section of an automobile seat when a child safety seat is placed on the upper protective member in a forward-facing orientation;

positioning the upper protective member on a seat back section of an automobile seat; and

placing a child safety seat at least partially against the upper protective member of the seat cover in a forward-facing orientation.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising selectively removing the upper protective member, leaving only the lower protective member on a seat bottom section when a rear-facing child safety seat is positioned on the lower protective member.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a rigid or semi-rigid material.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the lower protective member comprises a tactile material configured to provide frictional resistance between the lower protective member and an adjacent surface of a child safety seat.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises at least one folding line configured to permit the lower protective member or the upper protective member to generally conform to the shape of an adjacent surface of an automobile seat.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a protective covering material.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the protective covering material comprises nylon fabric.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the lower protective member comprises a peripheral edge for spill containment.

20. A method of reducing compressive forces on an automobile seat resulting from the presence of a child safety seat situated thereon, the method comprising:

positioning a lower protective member on a seat bottom section of an automobile seat, the lower protective member comprising a lower cushioned portion and a tactile material configured to provide frictional resistance between the lower protective member and an adjacent surface of a child safety seat; and

positioning an upper protective member on a seat back section of an automobile seat, the upper protective member comprising an upper cushioned portion and a tactile material configured to provide frictional resistance between the upper protective member and an adjacent surface of a child safety seat;

wherein the upper protective member is configured to be selectively positioned adjacent to the lower protective portion;

wherein the lower protective member is configured to be positioned on an automobile seat when a child safety seat has a rear-facing or a forward-facing orientation;

wherein the upper protective member is configured to be positioned on an automobile seat when a child safety seat has a forward-facing orientation;

removing the upper protective member for storage when a child safety seat has a rear-facing orientation; and

repositioning the upper protective member when a child safety seat has a forward-facing orientation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises at least one folding line configured to permit the lower protective member or the upper protective member to generally conform to the shape of an adjacent surface of an automobile seat.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one of the lower protective member and the upper protective member comprises a rigid or semi-rigid material.