Public transport vehicle seat slip cover brochure holder displaying non-removable advertising brochures

• US 4,650,103 A
• Filed: 11/27/1985
• Issued: 03/17/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wilburn H. Mitchell
• Original Assignee: Wilburn H. Mitchell
• Inventors: Mitchell, Wilburn H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips, Charles E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/802,534
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• Field of Search: 150/52 C, 150/52 R, 224/273, 224/275, 224/311, 224/277, 383/38, 383/40, 211/55, 211/64, 211/128, 296/21, 40/124, 40/124.2, 40/124.4, 40/593
• US Class Current: 224/275
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/242 Bus seats
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 7/043 mounted on or under a seat
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 2023/005 on seats
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/04 by land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 21/049 giving information to passengers inside the vehicles

Abstract

An article carrier of the slip cover type for mounting over the back of an automobile seat or the like and having a plurality of transparent plastic pockets arrayed in partially overlapping rows for displaying advertising brochures, maps, and other informative material. The pockets are arranged so as to make a substantial portion of the outermost brochure inserted in each pocket visible at a glance and at the same time keep all of the brochures in good condition. So that none of the pockets is ever empty in use, a hidden band within each pocket prevents a passenger from removing its outermost brochure. The remaining brochures are accessible for self distribution. When used in a taxi cab, bus, airplane, or other common carrier, this brochure holder can help inform a rider of the attractions of the community he is visiting. A taxi driver benefits by having the brochures available to help answer a rider'"'"'s questions concerning places to stay and to dine. Further, the vehicle owner may obtain revenues by renting individual pockets as advertising space.

Claims

1. In combination with a slip cover for the back of a vehicle seat, the slip cover having a substantially rectangular body panel of a first flexible material which is doubled over in such a way that opposing outer edges of the body panel can be stitched to a pair of flexible side panels, wherein the improvement comprises:

(a) at least three elongated panels of approximately rectangular shape formed from a second flexible material and each having approximately the same dimensions;

each elongated panel being folded and stitched proximate the fold along the length thereof to form a wide band and a narrow band, the narrow band being disposed contiguous the body panel, the wide band overlying the narrow band;

each elongated panel being stitched along the length of the lower edge of the wideband, which is disposed away from the fold, to the back of the body panel;

each band being secured to the side panels at opposite ends of the band by the same seams which secure the body panel to the side panels; and

(b) each elongated panel being joined to at least one contiguous elongated panel in a configuration of partial overlap, the upper portion of the lower elongated panel being disposed outwardly of the lower portion of the elongated panel contiguous thereto and immediately above said lower elongated panel;

the wide and narrow bands of each elongated panel being joined to each other and to the body panel by a plurality of vertical seams spaced approximately equidistant from each other and from the seams joining the wide and narrow bands to the side panels;

the spacing between each contiguous pair of vertical seams being approximately equal to the width of a first brochure of standard size;

the distance separating each proximate pair of said lower edges being less than the height of a transverse cross-section of the wide band of each of the elongated panels, so that an extra row of pockets can be formed in a space which would otherwise accomodate only two rows of like-sized pockets;

the distance between the stitching along the upper and lower edges of each pocket being only slightly greater than the length of said first brochure, there being a close fit between a section of the wide band which also forms the outer side of a pocket and said first brochure, the first brochure prior to use being inserted in front of a section of the narrow band within the pocket until the upper edge of the first brochure abuts the stitching proximate the fold, said section of the wide band having no projections across the entire surface of said section of the wide band which is adapted to form an interface with the first brochure, the absence of projections allowing maximum cohesive forces to form between the second flexible material, which tends to be sticky, and the first brochure at this interface, thereby making the first brochure difficult to remove from the pocket;

the section of the narrow band extending downwardly from and rearwardly of the upper edge of the first brochure and completely covering said upper edge;

the downward extension of the section of the narrow band preventing a second brochure of standard size which may be placed in the pocket behind the first brochure for distribution, with the upper end of the second brochure being disposed behind said section of the narrow band, from being snagged on the narrow band as the second brochure is being removed;

the second brochure being much more readily removed from the pocket than is the first brochure whenever both are present therein, the narrow band covering the upper edge of the first brochure and the cohesive forces between said section of the wide band and the first brochure insuring that, while the slip cover is operably disposed on the back of the vehicle seat, the first brochure is retained in the pocket.

2. In the combination according to claim 1 wherein the improvement further comprises a plurality of welts, each welt being disposed along and secured by one of said vertical seams;

the welts extending from first points disposed downwardly of the superior edge of the lowermost elongated panel to second points disposed upwardly of the superior edge of the uppermost elongated panel;

the welts being disposed outwardly of the elongated panels between said first points and the superior edge of the uppermost elongated panel, so that a brochure of standard size can be slid downwardly between portions of a contiguous pair of welts which extend upwardly from and overlie either end of the superior edge of a pocket to facilitate insertion of the brochure into the pocket.

3. In combination with a slip cover for the back of a vehicle seat, the slip cover having a substantially rectangular body of flexible material which is doubled over in such a way that opposing outer edges of the body panel can be stitched to a pair of flexible side panels, wherein the improvement comprises:

(a) at least three elongated panels of approximately rectangular shape formed from sheets of transparent, flexible material, each of the elongated panels having approximately the same dimensions and being folded and stitched proximate the fold along the length thereof to form a wide band and a narrow band, the narrow band being disposed contiguous the body panel, the wide band overlying the narrow band;

each elongated panel being stitched along the length of the lower edge of the wide band, which is disposed away from the fold, to the back of the body panel;

each band being secured to the side panels at opposite ends of the band by the same seams which secure the body panel to the side panels; and

(b) each elongated panel being joined to at least one contiguous elongated panel in a configuration of partial overlap, the upper portion of the lower elongated panel being disposed outwardly of the lower portion of the elongated panel contiguous thereto and immediately above said lower elongated panel;

the wide and narrow bands of each elongated panel being joined to each other and to the body panel by a plurality of vertical seams spaced approximately equidistant from each other and from the seams joining the wide and narrow bands to the side panels;

the spacing between each contiguous pair of vertical seams being approximately equal to the width of a first brochure of standard size;

the distance separating each proximate pair of said lower edges being less than the height of a transverse cross-section of the wide band of each of the elongated panels, so that an extra row of pockets can be formed in a space which would otherwise accomodate only two rows of like-sized pockets;

the distance between the stitching along the upper and lower edges of each pocket being only slightly greater than the length of said first brochure, there being a close fit between a section of the wide band which also forms the outer side of the pocket and said first brochure, the first brochure prior to use being inserted in front of a section of the narrow band within the pocket until the upper edge of the first brochure abuts the stitching proximate the fold, said section of the wide band having no projections across the entire surface of said section of the wide band which is adapted to form an interface with the first brochure, the absence of projections allowing maximum cohesive forces to form between the transparent, flexible material, which tends to be sticky, and the first brochure at said interface, thereby making the first brochure difficult to remove from the pocket;

the section of the narrow band extending downwardly from and rearwardly of the upper edge of the first brochure and completely covering said upper edge;

the downward extension of the section of the narrow band preventing a second brochure of standard size which may be placed in the pocket behind the first brochure for distribution, with the upper end of the second brochure being disposed behind said section of the narrowband, from being snagged on the narrow band as the second brochure is being removed;

the second brochure being much more readily removed from the pocket than is the first brochure whenever both are present therein, the narrow band covering the upper edge of the first brochure and the cohesive forces between said section of the wide band and the first brochure insuring that, while the slip cover is operably disposed on the back of the vehicle seat, the first brochure is retained in the pocket for display purposes when any brochure placed with the upper end thereof behind the section of the narrow band has been removed from the pocket.

4. In the combination according to claim 3 wherein the improvement is further characterized by a smoothing of any wrinkles in the side of the pocket formed of transparent material as said interface is being formed, so that any printed matter on the face of the first brochure contiguous with the side of the pocket formed of transparent material is viewable therethrough above the upper edge of any pocket disposed downwardly of the upper edge of said side and viewable without distortion due to wrinkling of the transparent material.

5. An article carrier of the slip cover type for mounting on the back of a vehicle seat comprising:

(a) a slip cover body having a panel of flexible material which is disposed contiguous with said back and which extends downwardly from the upper edge thereof;

(b) a plurality of generally rectangular pockets;

one side of each pocket being formed of a flexible, transparent material which is folded along the upper edge of the pocket to form a wide band and a narrow band, the lower edge of each band being disposed approximately parallel to the upper edge of the pocket;

the narrow band being disposed contiguous said slip cover body which comprises the other side of each pocket, the wide band overlying the narrow band;

(c) said pockets being arranged in at least two rows spaced generally parallel to each other, the upper edge of the lower row of pockets being disposed above and outwardly from the lower edge of the contiguous upper row of pockets, the lower row of pockets only partly covering the upper row of pockets;

the width of each pocket being slightly greater than the width of a brochure of standard size and the depth of each pocket being slightly greater than the length of the brochure of standard size; and

(d) means having an upper edge which is inserted in front of and upwardly of the narrow band within the pocket for stretching the wide band, the wide band having no projections across the entire surface of the wide band which forms an interface with the stretching means, the absence of projections allowing maximum cohesive forces to develop between the transparent, flexible material of the wide band, which tends to be sticky, and the stretching means at said interface;

the narrow band in each pocket extending downwardly from the upper edge of any brochure of standard size which has been placed in the pocket;

the downward extension of the narrow band preventing such a brochure placed in the pocket for distribution, with the upper end of the brochure being disposed behind said narrow band, from being snagged on the narrow band as the brochure is being removed;

the narrow band covering the upper edge of the stretching means and the cohesive forces between the wide band and the stretching means insuring that, while the slip cover body is operably disposed on the back of the vehicle seat, the stretching means is retained in the pocket for display purposes when any brochure placed with the upper end thereof behind the narrow band has been removed from the pocket.

6. The article carrier according to claim 5 in which the stretching means is further characterized as having a brochure which is inserted in front of the narrow band, the transparent, flexible material of the wide band adhering to the brochure so inserted, thereby making the brochure so inserted difficult to remove from the pocket and keeping the brochure so inserted in position for display purposes even when any brochure placed with the upper end thereof behind the narrow band has been removed from the pocket.