Semi-Fitted One-Piece Slipcover

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a slipcover for a piece of upholstered seating-type furniture. More specifically, the invention relates to a semi-fitted, one-piece slipcover having a minimal number of parts and seams, for use on an item of furniture having a back and at least one seat cushion, which gives a neat appearance and which retains its position during use of the item of furniture.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Slipcovers for pieces of furniture are known in the art, and are frequently used by consumers to change the appearance of a piece of furniture. Such slipcovers are typically used to cover the piece of furniture with a different fabric, to cover damage such as holes or worn spots in the existing fabric of the furniture, or to hide the appearance of stains due to spills and the like. Such slipcovers historically have been custom-made to fit the item of furniture, and full-fashioned (i.e. fitted) in order that they provide the appearance of regular upholstered furniture, rather than a slipcovered appearance. Custom-making of slipcovers, however, tends to be time consuming and expensive; thus it often is more cost-effective to re-upholster the furniture than to slipcover it.

Prefabricated slipcovers which can fit a variety of furniture items of typical dimensions and which can be more readily applied by the consumer himself have also been developed. Though these slipcovers tend to be less expensive to produce than custom-tailored ones, they can be difficult to apply to some styles and shapes of furniture, and often result in an unsatisfactory appearance due to improper fit. Because of the desire to simplify the construction and application of such consumer-applied slipcovers, one-piece slipcovers have been developed.

Examples of such one-piece slipcovers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,695,244 to Cohen, U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,610 to Perrin, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,407 to Tell. The patent to Cohen describes a one-piece slipcover which is full-fashioned to form a substantially fitted cover, and which includes extra lengths of material in certain areas in order that it can accommodate some variations in the furniture dimensions. The cover also includes an extra row of stitching along a front portion thereof in an attempt to give the appearance that the seat cushion has been separately covered. Because that portion of the slipcover which covers the base of the item of furniture hangs freely from the portion which covers the cushion front, a fitted appearance is not achieved by this cover. Further, when the seat cushion is compressed such as by a parcel being placed or a person sitting thereon, the front of the cover moves downwardly toward the floor in response to the cushion movement. Not only does this further destroy the illusion of the seat cushion being separately covered, but the-slipcover itself can be stepped on by the sitting person and become soiled or damaged.

The patent to Perrin describes a protective furniture cover which is formed to have dished portions which form armpiece covers. The cover also includes a drawstring about its lower open end in order to enable it to be tightened about the base of the item of furniture which it covers. While providing a cover which is relatively easy to secure about the item of furniture, this cover provides a clearly slipcovered appearance to the furniture, as the cover extends freely downward from the top of the seat cushion. In other words, there is no means provided for delineating the seat cushion from the rest of the item of furniture being covered; therefore, the fact that the furniture has been slipcovered rather than re-upholstered is readily apparent. Further, because the cover is not secured about the seat cushion of the item of furniture, and particularly because it is not secured beneath the cushion about the cushion front, there is a greater tendency for the cover to become displaced in response to the typical movement caused by a person sitting down on and getting up from the item of furniture. In addition, because the front lower portion of the cover, i.e. the portion which covers the furniture base, extends downwardly from an upper edge of the seat cushions, the cover tends to balloon outwardly in response to compression of the seat cushion such as that caused by a person sitting in the sofa, which results in an undesirable appearance.

The patent to Tell describes a unitary adjustable cover which includes a plurality of panels which are joined together along a plurality of adjustable channels. The cover gives an obviously slipcovered appearance to the furniture being covered, particularly because the seat cushion(s) of the furniture is(are) covered unitarily with the rest of the furniture item and there is no means for delineating the cushions from the furniture base. Similar to the cover discussed in the Perrin patent, the cover has a tendency to become displaced as a result of the typical forces caused by a person sitting down on and getting up from the item of furniture being covered. Further, because the front of the cover extends freely downward from the top of the seat cushion, when the seat cushion is compressed such as by a parcel being placed or a person sitting thereon, the front of the cover moves downwardly along with the cushion movement. This tends to provide an undesirable appearance, particularly in the embodiment of the invention where the cover is secured about the bottom of the sofa, as the cover merely balloons outwardly from the seat to the floor. When the cover is not secured about the bottom of the piece of furniture, it tends to pool on the floor, where it can become soiled or damaged, particularly since the sagging material tends to be located in the same location as the seated person's feet. Further, a person's feet could become tangled in the sagging material, thereby causing the person to trip and fall.

In addition to the obvious practicability of slipcovers, the slip covered look for furniture has recent times become popular with interior designers and consumers alike. For this reason, it is sometimes preferred to have slipcovers which are "semi-fitted", meaning they are structured to some degree to correspond to the contours of the furniture which they cover, but are unstructured to a great enough extent that they still suggest a slipcovered appearance to observers. Heretofore, however, it has been difficult to achieve this semi-fitted look without the expensive customization process. Further, because designs of furniture vary so much from year to year and from manufacturer to manufacturer, it is difficult to obtain a consistently appealing fit on a variety of pieces of furniture from a single slipcover. For this reason, mass-produced, standardized slipcovers have been less commercially practicable than the obvious utility of such would suggest.

Thus, a need exists for a slipcover for furniture which can be readily manufactured using only a minimal number of pieces, and which is semi-fitted to provide a neat appearance, while suggesting the presence of a slipcover.

Further, a need exists for a slipcover which is can be easily applied by the consumer to pieces of furniture of various shapes and dimensions, without requiring full-fashioned customization.

In addition, a need exists for a slipcover which maintains its proper position and appearance on the item of furniture throughout use of the furniture and compression of the seat cushions thereof.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a unitary slipcover having only a minimal number of pieces and seams.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a slipcover which will provide an aesthetically appealing, semi-fitted appearance to a variety of shaped items of seating-type furniture, which can be readily and easily positioned on the item of furniture.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a slipcover which, when positioned on an item of furniture, maintains its proper position throughout normal use of the furniture, and which maintains an aesthetically pleasing appearance when the seat cushions of the furniture are compressed during use.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like elements.

The slipcover of the present invention is generally of a one-piece construction, and has a minimal number of seams and parts. The slipcover includes a first seat cushion covering portion which includes a cinching element which extends around its periphery, to provide a means for reducing the effective dimension thereof. In a preferred form of the invention, the cinching element is in the form of an elastic band which is in a stretched condition while it is secured to the periphery of the seat cushion covering portion. In this way, when the tension is released from the elastic band, the effective dimension of the seat cushion covering portion is reduced to form a substantially mushroom-shaped pouch.

A main body portion is desirably formed from a substantially rectangular shaped piece of material, which is folded lengthwise and seamed to itself at either end. A first lengthwise side of the main body portion is secured to the seat cushion covering portion while the second lengthwise side is left substantially free, in order to define an open pouch. This pouch formed by the main body portion is adapted to surround and cover the back of an item of furniture, with the seamed ends defining semi-fitted arm covering portions for the arms of the item of furniture. The main body portion is desirably sized so that it extends between about halfway and the entire way, and preferably about two-thirds of the way, around the perimeter of the seat cushion covering portion, to thereby encircle a major portion thereof.

The first lengthwise side of the main body portion is preferably secured to the seat cushion covering portion so that it is cinched along with the seat cushion covering portion, and a second cinching element is secured to the second lengthwise side to provide a means for tightening the main body portion around the back and arms of the item of furniture. The second cinching element is also desirably in the form of an elastic band which is secured to the second lengthwise side while it is in an extended condition, in order that it reduces the effective length of the side upon returning to its relaxed, unextended condition.

To provide a more aesthetically appealing appearance to an item of furniture covered by the slipcover, a skirt is desirably secured to the slipcover along the second lengthwise side of the main body portion and the portion of the periphery of the seat cushion covering portion which is not secured to the main body portion.

In operation, the slipcover is desirably positioned on an item of furniture so that the seat cushion covering portion surrounds the seat cushion(s) thereof in the manner of a shower cap positioned on a wearer's head. The cinching element surrounding the seat cushion covering portion preferably draws the periphery of the seat cushion covering portion into the crevices between the seat cushion and the base, back, and arms of the sofa. The cinching element extending along the second lengthwise side of the main body portion extends around the outside of the sofa back and arms, preferably in the same plane as the cinching element secured to the seat cushion covering portion. In this way, the separation between the seat cushion and the base is visibly delineated, and the skirt extends downward from beneath the seat cushion. As a result, a semi-fitted appearance is provided, the slipcover is maintained securely on the sofa, and its appearance remains relatively unchanged even when the seat cushions are compressed in response to a person sitting on the sofa.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front side of a conventional item of seating-type furniture, in the form of a sofa;

FIG. 2 is a view of the rear side of the item of seating-type furniture illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a birds-eye perspective view of the front side of the item of furniture illustrated in FIG. 1, having a slipcover according to the present invention positioned thereon;

FIG. 4 is a birds-eye perspective view of the rear side of the item of furniture illustrated in FIG. 1 having a slipcover according to the present invention positioned thereon;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a slipcover according to the present invention as it appears in a flattened condition prior to being positioned on an item of furniture;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a slipcover according to the present invention as shown along the lines 6--6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a slipcover according to the present invention as shown along lines 7--7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a front side of a piece of furniture as a slipcover according to the present invention is being positioned thereon;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a rear side of an item of furniture as a slipcover according to the present invention is being positioned thereon;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a front side of an item of furniture with a slipcover according to the present invention positioned thereon and as it appears prior to the tucking in of excess slipcover fabric;

FIG. 11 is a partial sectional view illustrating the position of the seat cushions with respect to a slipcover positioned on the item of furniture after a portion of the excess slipcover fabric is tucked in about the cushions;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of an item of furniture as it appears with a slipcover according to the present invention being positioned thereon as the slipcover fabric is being straightened about the furniture arm and back;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view of an item of furniture as it appears with a slipcover according to the present invention positioned thereon and as the slipcover is being underlapped proximate the furniture arms;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view of an item of furniture as it appears with a slipcover according to the present invention being positioned thereon and while excess slipcover material is being pleated about the juncture of the furniture arm and back;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 15--15 of FIG. 14, illustrating the underlapping of the slipcover material proximate the furniture arm; and

FIG. 16 illustrates a cross-section view taken along line 16--16 of FIG. 14, illustrating the excess slipcover material tucked into the crevice between the seat cushion and the furniture arm.

With reference to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and illustrate a typical item of seating-type furniture 10, which for purposes of this example, is a seat in the form of a sofa. It will be noted, however, that slipcovers according to the present invention may be used in combination with any of a variety of types of seating-type furniture having a base, a back, and at least one seat cushion, e.g., club chairs, sofabeds, and the like. FIG. 1 illustrates the front side 10a (i.e. the seated side) of the sofa 10, while FIG. 2 illustrates the rear side 10b of the sofa. The sofa includes a seat base 12, which is typically somewhat rigid in order that it can support the rest of the furniture body and things which may be positioned thereon, such as a person (not shown). The base 12 can be of a variety of shapes, and may include supplemental legs (not shown) or the like.

The sofa 10 preferably includes first and second arms 14 which extend upwardly from opposite ends of the base 12, and are connected to each other by way of a sofa back 16. The back 16 is illustrated as being relatively smooth and continuous, though it is noted that any of a variety of shaped sofas could also be used in combination with a slipcover according to the instant invention. For example, the back 16 of the sofa 10 to be covered can be of the conventional camel back shape, or the like.

A cushioned region be extends substantially horizontally across the sofa base 12, to provide a sitting surface for a user of the sofa 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the cushioned region 18 includes first and second individual seat cushions 18a, 18b. It is noted, however, that items of furniture usable in combination with slipcovers of the present invention can include a single bench-style cushion or a plurality of cushions.

The cushioned region 18 (i.e. individual cushions 18a, 18b) are preferably at least partially separable from the seat base 12, in order that a crevice 20 is located between a lower front edge of the cushioned region and the seat base. A crevice 22 is also preferably located between the cushioned region 18 and each of the sofa arms 14, and a crevice 24 is desirably located between the cushioned region and the sofa back 16.

A slipcover according to the instant invention is shown generally at 30 in FIGS. 3-7, with FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrating the slipcover as it appears when positioned properly on the sofa 10 depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIGS. 5-7 illustrate the slipcover 30 as it appears prior to being positioned on such an item of furniture 10.

The slipcover 30 is desirably of unitary construction and includes a seat cushion covering portion 32, which preferably is substantially oval or round. This seat cushion covering portion 32 is preferably formed from a body of material or fabric, and is substantially surrounded by a cinching element 34, which controls the effective peripheral dimension of the seat cushion covering portion. In a preferred form of the invention, the cinching element 34 is in the form of an elastic band which is secured to the periphery of the seat cushion covering portion 32 while the band is in an extended or stretched condition. In this way, when the band is allowed to relax and return to an unstretched condition, it cinches the periphery of the seat cushion covering portion 32 in a manner similar to a shower cap. Thus the seat cushion covering portion 32 has an expanse of material with a retracted peripheral dimension, thereby forming a three-dimensional mushroom-shaped pouch which can readily envelop a cushioned region 18 of a piece of furniture. While the preferred cinching element 34 is an elastic band, it is noted that other similar types of conventional cinching means such as drawstrings or the like can be used to reduce the effective periphery of the seat cushion covering portion 32, in order to secure it around a seat cushion in a manner discussed further herein.

A main body portion 36 of slipcover 30 is formed as a long, substantially rectangular piece of material which is folded lengthwise and secured to itself along seams 38 at either end. In a preferred form of the invention, the seams 38 are formed by sewing; however, other attachment means such as adhesive bonding or the like could be used. The seams 38 define arm covering portions 40 of the slipcover 30, as will be discussed further herein. The main body portion 36 is preferably inverted subsequent to the seaming step, in order that any seam allowance (not shown) formed at seams 38 will be located on the inside of the slipcover 30 when it is positioned on an item of furniture 10, to thereby provide a neater appearance.

A first lengthwise side 42a of the main body portion 36 is secured to the seat cushion covering portion 32 proximate its periphery such that the main body portion 36 extends greater than halfway but less than all of the way around the periphery of the seat cushion covering portion. In a preferred form of the invention, the main body portion 36 extends approximately two-thirds of the way around the periphery of the seat cushion covering portion 32. In a particularly preferred form of the invention, the first lengthwise side 42a of the main body portion 36 is joined to the seat cushion covering portion while the cinching element 34 is in its extended position so that upon release of the tension on the cinching element, the effective length of the first lengthwise side is effectively reduced due to gathering of the first lengthwise side material by the cinching element.

The second longitudinal side 42b of the main body 36 is preferably free (i.e. substantially unattached to the seat cushion covering portion 32), to form an open pouch with the first longitudinal side 42a and the arm covering portions 40 (i.e. the secured ends discussed above.) The second longitudinal side 42b preferably includes a cinching element 44 to enable a reduction of the effective length thereof. In a preferred form of the invention, the cinching element 44 is in the form of an elastic band which is secured to the second longitudinal side 42b while the band is in an extended condition; in this way, when the elastic band is allowed to return to its relaxed, unextended condition, it reduces the effective dimension of the second longitudinal side and gathers the material of the main body portion 36 therealong. In a preferred form of the invention, the cinching element 44 retracts to a lesser extent or is longer than cinching element 34, so that when each of the cinching elements is in a relaxed, substantially unstretched condition, a substantially open pocket is formed by the main body portion 36. Alternatively, the main body portion 36 may have an extended length proximate its longitudinal side 42b, again so that an open pocket is formed between the first and second longitudinal sides when the first longitudinal side is secured to the seat cushion covering portion 32.

In a preferred form of the invention, the substantially rectangular main body portion 36 has an increased width at least proximate one of its longitudinal sides, thereby providing a greater amount of material fullness proximate a middle region 46 of the folded main body, i.e. the region opposite that section of the seat cushion covering portion 32 which is not encircled by the first longitudinal side 42a of the main body. Because the main body portion 36 is adapted to cover at least the back 16, and preferably the back and arms 14 of a piece of furniture, the greater material fullness proximate the middle region 46 of the main body portion enables it to readily cover large, bulky items of furniture as well as less bulky items, since any excess slipcover material can be tucked away out of sight when the slipcover is in use, in the manner discussed further herein. Also, in order that first longitudinal side 42a of the main body portion 36 can be made to smoothly extend around the seat cushion covering portion 32, darts or pleats (not shown) can be provided in one or both of the portions, in a manner conventionally used to provide smooth joining of a relatively straight longitudinal piece of fabric to a curved one.

To provide a more finished look to the slipcover 30, a skirt 48 can be provided to a lower portion of the cover. The skirt 48 is preferably provided as a long rectangular piece of material or fabric which is secured about one of its longitudinal edges to the seat cushion covering and main body portions 32, 36 respectively, of the slipcover. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the skirt 48 has one of its longitudinal sides secured to the cinching element 44 secured to side 42b of the main body portion, and it continues around the front section of the seat cushion covering portion 32 which is not encircled by the main body portion 36, where it is preferably secured proximate cinching element 34. In one preferred form of the invention where it is desired that a gathered skirt be provided, the skirt 48 can be secured to the seat cushion covering portion 32 at the same time that cinching element 34 is secured thereto. The cinching element 34 in this form is desirably an elastic band, with the securement of the skirt 48, seat cushion covering portion 32, and cinching element preferably being accomplished while the cinching element is in a stretched condition. In this way, the skirt 48 is automatically gathered upon release of the tension stretching the elastic band. The securement of the skirt 48 to the main body portion 36 can be performed in the same manner, with the cinching element 44 being in the form of a stretched elastic band, in order that the portion of the skirt corresponding to the main body portion is also gathered.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the slipcover 30 is properly positioned on an item of furniture 10, the substantially mushroom-shaped seat cushion covering portion 32 is positioned over the seat cushions 18a, 18b in the manner of a shower cap being secured over a wearer's hair. Because the cinching element 34 effectively reduces the periphery of the seat cushion covering portion 32, it has a natural tendency to withdraw beneath the seat cushions 18a, 18b, and into the crevices 20, 22, 24 between the cushion(s) and the rest of the furniture parts. Because the cinching element 34 cinches the seat cushion covering portion 32 beneath the seat cushion(s) 18a, 18b of the item of furniture, the seat cushion is securely and neatly covered by the slipcover 30. Further, because the slipcover is drawn into the crevice 20 between the seat cushion portion 18 and the base, the division therebetween is naturally delineated, thereby providing a semi-fitted appearance. The main body portion 36 preferably covers the back 16 of the sofa 10, and cinching element 44 extends around the outer side of the item of furniture 10 to secure this portion of the slipcover 30 thereon. Where the slipcover 30 is used to cover a sofa 10 having arms 14, the main body portion also desirably covers the arms and the cinching element 44 extends around the back 16 and arms 14 at a position substantially parallel with the floor or other surface on which the item of furniture sits. The main body portion 36 of the slipcover 30 preferably terminates proximate the arms 14 of the sofa 10, and the skirt 48 extends downwardly from beneath the seat cushion 18 and cinching element 44 toward the floor. Because the skirt 48 extends from beneath the cushioned portion 18 of the sofa 10 rather than from above it in the manner of many prior art slipcover constructions, the positioning and appearance of the skirt remains relatively unaffected throughout compression of the cushion, such as that which would be caused by a person sitting on the sofa.

With reference to FIGS. 8-16, positioning of the slipcover 30 on an item of furniture 10 is performed as follows. Beginning from a side of the sofa 10, for example, the slipcover 30 is positioned so that one of the arm covering portions 40 is positioned over one of the arms 14 of the sofa. The slipcover 30 is then extended across the piece of furniture so that the back 16 of the sofa is covered by the main body portion 36 of the slipcover, and the seat cushion covering portion 32 extends over the seat cushion region 18 of the piece of furniture. The second of the arm covering portions 40 is then positioned over the second arm 14 of the sofa. The peripheral dimension of the seat cushion covering portion 32 is expanded, such as by stretching the cinching means 34, and the seat cushion covering portion is positioned over the seat cushion(S) 18a, 18b of the sofa 10, preferably such that the seat cushion covering portion extends into the crevices 20, 22 and 24 between the seat cushion(s) and the sofa base, arms, and back, respectively.

The main body portion 36 is desirably pulled downwardly to straighten it and so that the cinching element 44 extends substantially parallel to the floor, and in substantially in the same plane as the cinching element 34. As shown in FIG. 10, the slipcover typically fits somewhat loosely on the item of furniture at this point.

As discussed above, and particularly where the cinching element 34 is in the form of an elastic band, the retraction of the band after it is stretched to extend over the seat cushions 18a, 18b naturally tends to pull the seat cushion covering portion 32 somewhat taut over the cushions, and to bias the adjustment means within the aforementioned crevices in the sofa. However, the user can tuck any excess material which may exist in regions of the slipcover 30 proximate the cinching element 34 into the crevices 20, 22, and 24 between the seat cushions and the base, arms and back, respectively until the slipcover material on the seat cushion(s) is relatively smooth.

As shown in FIG. 12, the user then straightens the slipcover material about the sofa arms, then underlaps any excess at the front of the sofa arms 14 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 13 at 50. The seams 38 are preferably centered about the front of the sofa arms 14 to provide a neat appearance, with the excess fabric being underlapped neatly in the form of an inverted pleat.

If any excess material remains proximate the juncture of the sofa arms 14 and back 16, it may easily be underlapped to form a series of pleats 52. Additionally, because the cinching element 34 is located beneath the seat cushion region 18 and defines the upper edge of the portion of the slipcover covering the seat base 12, the position of the slipcover remains substantially the same even when the seat cushions are compressed. Thus, the semi-fitted appearance of the slipcover is maintained throughout the various stages of use of the sofa, and the problems associated with prior art slipcovers are overcome.

The slipcover 30 can be made from any of a variety of materials or fabrics, such as typical upholstery-type fabrics or plastic materials. The cinching elements 34, 44 can be secured to the seat cushion covering portion, main body portion, and skirt using any conventional securement methods, such as sewing, adhesive bonding, or the like. Where the slipcover 30 is formed from a thermoplastic material, the cinching elements could be ultrasonically welded to the slipcover portions, in a known manner.

Further, it is noted that the cinching elements 34, 44, which have been illustrated as being provided as two individual pieces, could be provided as one single piece of band material, or numerous pieces, according to the desires of the manufacturer.

In the drawings and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.