THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to automobile seat covers. More specifically, the present invention relates to automobile seat covers which have removable and replaceable panels which may be interchanged to alter the appearance and functionality of the seat.

BACKGROUND

A common customization for cars is the installation of aftermarket seat covers. Seat covers are commonly used to alter the appearance to the vehicle, such as by matching an aftermarket paint job or by matching other decorative items added to the vehicle. These seat covers do require time and care to produce a neat and attractive visual appearance.

Additionally, there is considerable cost in replacing an entire seat cover to change the visual appearance of the seat cover. Thus, it is usually not feasible to temporarily remove and replace aftermarket seat covers in order change the visual appearance of the seat cover for a short period of time.

In many situations, however, people desire to temporarily alter the color or visual appearance of their vehicle seats. For example, people may desire to alter the appearance of their vehicle seats by temporarily adding a sports team's logo and colors on game day or adding a company's design or colors for a company event. It would thus increase the ability of car owners to customize their cars by having the option of quickly and effectively changing the visual appearance of installed car seats.

It is thus desirable to have an aftermarket seat cover system which allows a person to quickly and easily change the visual appearance of their car seats.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved automotive seat cover.

According to one aspect of the invention, an automotive seat cover is provided which allows for easily changing the appearance of the seat cover without removing the seat cover from the seat. Supplemental insert panels may be attached to the seat cover to change the color and appearance of the seat cover. These decorative insert panels may be replaced or interchanged to alter the color, pattern, etc. which is displayed on the seat cover. According to another aspect of the invention, functional insert panels may be interchanged in order to alter the function of the seat.

These and other aspects of the present invention are realized in an automotive seat cover as shown and described in the following figures and related description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an automotive seat cover system according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a detail of the seat cover of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of an insert panel of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows another perspective view of an insert panel of the present invention; and FIG. 5 shows another perspective view of the seat cover of FIG. 1.

It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. It is appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element and aspect of the invention in a single figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to separately illustrate the various details of the invention in greater clarity. Similarly, not every embodiment need accomplish all advantages of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention and accompanying drawings will now be discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention. The drawings and descriptions are exemplary of various aspects of the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the appended claims.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of an automotive seat cover system according to the present invention is shown. The seat cover 10 is installed over an automotive seat 14. The seat cover 10 may be made of various different materials according to the particular style of the seat cover. Materials such as leather, vinyl, and cloth are commonly used.

The seat cover 10 includes an insert panel 18 which is removably attached to the seat cover. If desired, the seat cover may include a first insert panel 18 and a second insert panel 22. The insert panels 18, 22 are typically located along the center portion of the seat cover. The first insert panel 18 extends along the height of the seat back 26 and the second insert panel extends along the length of the seat bottom 30. For automotive seats 14 which include support bolsters 26a, 30a along the sides of the seat, the insert panels 18, 22 will often extend between the left and right side bolsters. In such a configuration, the insert panels may cover between about 30 and about 65 percent of the width of the seat. Commonly, the insert panels cover about 45 to 50 percent of the width of the seat and are located along the center of the seat.

The insert panels 18, 22 (as well as the additional insert panels 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 22a) are removably attached to the seat cover 10 by a temporary fastener. According to one aspect of the invention, the insert panels 18, 22 are attached to the seat cover 10 with a temporary fastener such as zippers 34. Figure 2 shows a detailed view of the zipper attachment for the seat back portion of the seat cover 10. The other parts of the seat cover 10 are similarly formed. One track of the zipper 34a is sewn into the seat cover, often in the seam between the bolster panels 26a, 30a and the center panel 38 of the seat cover 10. The other track of the zipper 34b is sewn onto the edge of the insert panel 18. A corresponding zipper track is also sewn onto the appropriate edges of the additional insert panels 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 22a. Alternative temporary fasteners such as hook and loop fasteners or snaps may be used to attach the insert panels to the seat cover.

The insert panels may be decorative panels as well as functional panels. Thus, the insert panels 18, 22 are often made to be a different type of cloth or different texture, a different color or a decorative pattern as compared to the rest of the seat cover 10. Thus, for example, the seat cover 10 may be a black or grey fabric or vinyl while the insert panels 18, 22 are a brightly colored fabric, vinyl, leather, etc. The insert panels 18, 22 may be a color which is chosen to match or compliment other aftermarket parts which have been added to the vehicle. In such a situation, the seat cover 10 may be black while the insert panels 18, 22 are yellow. The insert panels 18, 22 may also be a pattern or graphic, such as a Hawaiian theme, flames, tribal striping, team or company logos, etc.

Additionally, the decorative insert panels 18, 22 may provide functional modifications to the seat cover 10. FIG. 3, for example, shows an insert panel 18c which includes a padded portion 42 which provides additional lumbar support. A person who has installed the seat cover 10 onto their vehicle seat can install the insert panel 18c to customize the seat to be more comfortable. FIG. 4 shows an insert panel 18d which includes a seat heater 46. A person can install the insert panel 18d to add a seat heater to their automotive seats without the complex installation typically required to install aftermarket seat heaters. The functional insert panels 18c, 18d are also made available in different visual appearances (such as color and graphic pattern) as discussed with respect to the decorative insert panels 18, 18a, 18b, 22, 22b. Additionally, the functional insert panels 18c, 18d are installed and removed in the same manner. The seat covers 10 are provided as part of a system where additional insert panels 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 22a are available for purchase. The additional insert panels 18a, 18b, 18c, 18d, 22a, are offered in a variety of different colors, patterns, etc. so that a person may purchase the insert panels which match their car, their favorite sports team, etc.

Typically, all of the seat cover 10 (including the center panels, bolster panels, sides, back, etc.) has the same general visual appearance (i.e. color, texture). Common colors for the seat cover 10 are white, grey, black, and tan. The seat covers 10 are often chosen to be colors which compliment the carpet and interior of the vehicle. The insert panels 18, 22 are typically chosen by a person to match items such as aftermarket shifters, lighting, or trim, sports teams, etc. The insert panels may commonly be bright colors, vinyl with carbon fiber appearance, sports logos, and graphic designs. The zippers 34 may be selected to minimize their visibility against the seat cover or alternatively to stand out from the seat cover. For example, the zippers may be black plastic in order to blend in with a black seat cover.

Alternatively, the zippers may be a bright color such as yellow in order to highlight and accent an insert panel such as a carbon fiber appearance vinyl.

An insert panel 18, 22 is installed onto the seat cover 10 by placing the insert panel in the appropriate location on the seat cover, engaging the two halves of the zippers 34, and securing the zippers. When a person wants to change the insert panels 18, 22, they may obtain a different insert panel, remove the insert panel which is currently attached to the seat cover 10, and attach the different insert panel to the seat cover. This is easily performed without removal of the seat cover 10. This allows a person to change the appearance of the seats very easily. A person may change the insert panels in minutes, allowing them to change the insert panels for a single event if desired. Additionally, the present invention avoids undue wear and tear on the seat covers 10 and seats 14 as removal and installation of the seat covers is a move invasive process. The removable insert panels 18, 22 also allow a person to customize the appearance of their vehicle much more inexpensively, as the insert panels may be purchased for considerably less than a new set of seat covers.

The portions of the seat cover 10 which are covered by the insert panels 18, 22 are preferably filled with the same material as the seat cover is made from. This provides versatility in removing the insert panels if desired. This also typically provides the most structural integrity for the seat cover. If desired, however, the part of the seat cover which will be covered by the interchangeable panel may be empty or just contain minimal material to hold the seat cover together when an insert panel is not installed.

FIG. 5 shows a seat cover 10 which is not installed on a seat. It can be seen how the seat cover is compliant and does not rigidly hold a shape. This allows the seat cover to conform better to a seat and provides a better finished appearance. The present invention provides several benefits. The present invention allows a person to easily and inexpensively modify the appearance and functionality of their car seats. The invention is also advantageous for retailers. As the retailers will stock fewer automotive seat covers (which take more shelf space) and more insert panels (which take much less shelf space), the retailers can achieve a significant reduction in the required shelf space to sell the seat cover system while providing a greater variety of color and performance options to the consumer.

There is thus disclosed an improved seat cover with removable insert panels. It will be appreciated that numerous changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims.