THREE-PIECE KNIT FORM-FIT SLIPCOVER

• US 20080315641A1
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bedding Acquisition, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sure Fit Inc. (Hollander Sleep Products, LLC)
• Inventors: Miller, Brenda Kay
• Granted Patent: US 7,780,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 297/224
• CPC Class Codes: A47C 31/11 for chairs for headrests only A47C7/386; removable protective covers for car seats B60N2/60
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/25 Zipper or required component thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A multi-piece slipcover for a piece of furniture having a base including a back, a seat, and a pair of armrests, and one or more seat cushions and back cushions that are unattached to the base. A base cover of the multi-piece slipcover includes one or more panels for covering the back, the left and right armrests, and at least a portion of the seat of the base. One or more seat cushion covers and one or more back cushions covers cover the one or more seat cushions and back cushions, respectively. At least one of the one or more back cushion covers has trapezoidally-shaped front and rear surfaces, and is made from a fabric having a stretch in length which behaves dynamically with respect to a stretch in width. A minimum stretch in fabric width is 60%, while a minimum stretch in fabric length is 40%.

Claims

1. A slipcover for a piece of furniture having a base including a back, a seat, and a pair of armrests, and having one or more seat cushions and one or more back cushions, wherein the one or more seat cushions and the one or more back cushions are not permanently affixed to the base, the slipcover comprising:

a base cover including one or more panels for covering each of the back, the left and right armrests, and at least a portion of the seat; and

one or more back cushion covers each configured to cover one or more back cushions;

wherein the at least one back cushion cover comprises a fabric having a stretch in length which behaves dynamically with respect to a stretch in width, with the minimum stretch in fabric width being 60%, the minimum stretch in fabric length being 40%.

2. The slipcover according to claim 1, wherein the at least one back cushion cover is form-fit to the at least one back cushion when the stretch in fabric width of 60% is reduced by approximately 10% or more.

3. The slipcover according to claim 2, wherein when the slipcover is form-fit to the back cushion and the stretch in fabric width of 60% is reduced by 10%, the stretch in fabric length of 40% is reduced by 25%.

4. The slipcover according to claim 1, further comprising one or more seat cushion covers each configured to cover one or more seat cushions.

5. The slipcover according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic band secured a lower edge of the base cover, the lower edge defining an opening for admitting the furniture into an interior portion of the base cover.

6. The slipcover according to claim 4, wherein each of the base covers and one or more seat covers comprises the fabric having a stretch in length which behaves dynamically with respect to a stretch in width.

7. The slipcover according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more back cushion covers has trapezoidally-shaped front and rear surfaces enclosing an interior portion of the cover.

8. The slipcover according to claim 7, wherein the at least one back cushion cover is wider at a top edge of the trapezoidally-shaped front and rear surfaces than at a bottom edge of the trapezoidally-shaped front and rear surfaces.

9. The slipcover according to claim 7, wherein the least one back cushion cover further comprises an opening at the bottom edge for admitting the one or more back cushions into the interior portion of the cover.

10. The slipcover according to claim 9, wherein a basin portion of the cover is affixed at the opening.

11. The slipcover according to claim 10, wherein the basin portion further comprises:

a zipper;

a pair of zipper bands each opposingly affixed to the zipper; and

a pair of gusset panels provided at longitudinally opposing ends of the zipper.

12. The slipcover according to claim 11, wherein the gusset panels are affixed the basin portion by seams provided at the longitudinally opposing ends of the zipper, the seams being orthogonally positioned in respect to an operating direction of the zipper.

13. The slipcover according to claim 7, wherein opposing ends of the top edge of the trapezoidally-shaped front and rear surfaces are contoured.

14. The slipcover according to claim 1, wherein the fabric comprises an elasticized yarn material.

15. The slipcover according to claim 14, wherein the elasticized yarn material comprises a spandex material.

16. A slipcover for covering a back cushion to be applied to a piece of furniture having a back and a seat having one or more seat cushions, the slipcover comprising:

an upper portion including at least one panel comprising front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions for respectively covering front and rear surfaces of the back cushion, the front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions enclosing an interior portion of the cover; and

a basin portion affixed to the upper portion within an opening defined by bottom edges of the front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions, wherein;

a central portion of each of the bottom edges of the front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions is directly joined to a longest side of the basin portion, and

end portions of each of the bottom edges of the front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions are each directly joined to a shortest side of the basin portion.

17. The slipcover according to claim 16, wherein:

the bottom edge of each trapezoidally-shaped portion is parallel to a top edge of the trapezoidally shaped portion; and

each of a pair of lateral edges of the front trapezoidally-shaped portion is directly joined to a lateral edge of the rear trapezoidally-shaped portion to define one of a pair of lateral edge seams.

18. The slipcover according to claim 16, wherein the top edges of each trapezoidally-shaped portion are directly joined along a top seam.

19. The slipcover according to claim 16, wherein the top edges of each trapezoidally-shaped portion are defined by a common edge of the front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions.

20. The slipcover according to claim 16, wherein the basin portion further comprises:

a zipper;

a pair of zipper bands each opposingly affixed to the zipper; and

a pair of gusset panels provided at longitudinally opposing ends of the zipper.

21. The slipcover according to claim 20, wherein the gusset panels are affixed to the basin portion by seams provided at the longitudinally opposing ends of the zipper, the seams being orthogonally positioned in respect to an operating direction of the zipper.

22. The slipcover according to claim 20, wherein the gusset panels comprise stretched portions of the front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions.

23. The slipcover according to claim 16, wherein the trapezoidally-shaped portions each define a regular trapezoid.

24. The slipcover according to claim 16, wherein the slipcover is configure to cover a plurality of back cushions.

25. The slipcover according to claim 16, wherein corners defined by the lateral edges and the top edge of each trapezoidally-shaped portion are radiused.

26. The slipcover according to claim 16, wherein each trapezoidally-shaped portion comprises an elastic fabric material.

27. The slipcover according to claim 26, wherein the elastic fabric comprises a fabric having a stretch in length which behaves dynamically with respect to a stretch in width, with the minimum stretch in fabric width being 60%, and the minimum stretch in fabric length being 40%.

28. The slipcover according to claim 27, wherein the slipcover is form-fit to the at least one back cushion when the stretch in fabric width of 60% is reduced by approximately 10% or more.

29. The slipcover according to claim 28, wherein when the slipcover is form-fit to the back cushion and the stretch in fabric width of 60% is reduced by 10%, the stretch in fabric length of 40% is reduced by 25%.

30. A method for assembling a slipcover for covering a back cushion to be applied to a piece of furniture having a back and a seat having one or more seat cushions, the method comprising the steps of:

forming an upper portion of the slipcover including at least one panel comprising front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions for respectively covering front and rear surfaces of the back cushion, the front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions enclosing an interior portion of the cover;

joining each of a pair of lateral edges of the front trapezoidally-shaped portion to a lateral edge of the rear trapezoidally-shaped portion to define one of a pair of lateral edge seams in the upper portion forming a basin portion of the slipcover; and

affixing the basin portion to the upper portion within an opening defined by bottom edges of the front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the step of forming the basin portion further includes the steps of:

providing a zipper;

providing a pair of zipper bands; and

affixing the pair of zipper bands to opposing sides of the zipper/

32. The method according to claim 31, wherein the step of affixing the basin portion further includes the steps of:

joining a central portion of each of the bottom edges of the front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions to a longest side of the basin portion,

joining end portions of each of the bottom edges of the front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions to a shortest side of the basin portion; and

providing a pair of gusset panels at longitudinally opposing ends of the zipper.

33. The method according to claim 30, wherein the step of forming the upper portion of the slipcover further includes the steps of

Providing a fabric having a stretch in length which behaves dynamically with respect to a stretch in width, with the minimum stretch in fabric width being 60%, the minimum stretch in fabric length being 40%;

and

forming the at least one panel comprising front and rear trapezoidally-shaped portions from the provided fabric.