The invention relates to a removable protective cover for a motor vehicle seat. According to the International Patent Classification, such inventions are classified in class B 60 N 2/60.

The underlying problem of the invention is how to configure a seat cover that on the one hand will provide protection of the outside surface of a car seat against dirt and mechanical damage that may occur during regular use in the period from the production of the seat itself and then the entire vehicle, until the delivery of the vehicle to the customer, and it will be anti- static and will not slide on the surface of the seat during use, but on the other hand, such a cover should be impermeable to liquid and permeable to steam and gases, thus allowing the seat to be ventilated, either to allow drying of condensed moisture or to provide a possibility of discharge of substances which, after the installation of certain parts in the vehicle, are released for a certain period from the materials said parts are made from, moreover, the cover should be formed without welds, at least at spots that are most frequently used during use, which could either cause damage to the cover during use or also undesired acoustic emissions; furthermore, the cover according to the invention should be made of such materials and components that can be recycled simultaneously and in full without any further action, in particular separation, finishing or the like.

Removable seat covers are known and are primarily intended for being temporarily placed on a seat, thereby providing at least the driver's and passenger's seat protection against mechanical damage and other adverse effects from the time the seat is manufactured and then the vehicle is manufactured until delivery to the customer, and optionally later during the use of the vehicle, e.g. during repair and/or maintenance of the vehicle.

In the period, in which a protective cover is used, namely from the completion of the production of the seat and then the completion of the production of the vehicle and until the delivery to the customer, a lot is going on with the vehicle. After the workers have sat on the seat at least 25 times during the assembly of the vehicle, the vehicle is tested by the manufacturer's test driver who sits in the vehicle and operates it for a specified amount of time, while carefully checking the operation of individual vehicle assemblies, not only visually, but in doing so, he is very attentive to the sound of the engine and other assemblies in the vehicle, wherein any extra sound or noise that is not directly related to the operation of the vehicle or the individual assemblies may be disturbing.

Said testing of the vehicle is followed by storage and/or transport, either in one step to the final dealer or usually in several steps through different distribution centres on logistical routes through different countries and therefore in variegated and unpredictable climatic and other conditions. At this stage of distribution, again, there are different people sitting on the driver's and/or passenger's seat, who are either inspecting the vehicle, e.g. they move the vehicle in ports and warehouses, while the interior of the vehicle is potentially exposed to mechanical damage, e.g. dirt, dust, abrasions and other traces of use, as well as meteorological impacts such as temperature and humidity, which can result in mould growing on the surface of the seats in the interior of the vehicle due to frequent movement and storage.

Car seats are made of a load-bearing metallic frame that is covered in a soft plastic cover, e. g. polyurethane, to provide comfort and adequate ergonomic conditions to the driver, and then everything is covered in a decorative cover in any desired colour and finish. Said decorative cover may consist of different materials, e.g. leather or various woven or non-woven fabrics based on man-made fibres, but may also be made in a variety of ways, e.g. by combining the aforementioned materials, with different seam designs, and the like, to provide the seats with the desired effects, especially in terms of usability and aesthetic appearance. Said cover is an integral part of each car seat and, as a rule, of the entire vehicle, and therefore remains in the vehicle permanently, even during use by the end customer, wherein, for a certain time, certain substances that are perceived by the user primarily as a scent characteristic of a new vehicle are released from some of the materials, of which said seat lining and said permanent seat cover are made, and last but not least, from the many other parts available inside the vehicle. These released substances are mostly in the gaseous state. However, while the vehicle is stored prior to delivery to the final customer, these substances may come in contact with moisture and be exposed to various climatic conditions; in principle, they may also cause certain problems in maintaining the interior of the vehicle intact, including the seats, at least until the moment when the vehicle is delivered to each customer or user. Traces of said substances which are released and then retained on the surface of the seat for a long period of time can cause certain chemical or mechanical damage that is visible to a naked eye in the form of removable or non-removable spots.

The retention of traces of said substances is even more problematic in the presence of either introduced or condensed moisture on the surface of the seat if the seat is temporarily covered in a protective cover which provides some protection to the seat and the permanent seat cover against external influences, but at the same time prevents the elimination of said moisture and the released substances, including the traces from seat materials and the permanent cover by natural drying.

In addition, it is desirable that the material, from which the removable seat cover is made, provides a sufficient friction coefficient at least in those areas where sliding of the cover over the seat surface could cause the removable cover to slip and thereby change the position of at least certain parts of the seat cover towards the surface of each seat. If not, the position of the removable cover would be inadvertently changed with respect to the seat when one would enter and exit the vehicle, leaving at least certain areas of the seat uncovered and the cover would no longer serve its primary purpose, that is to say, to protect the seat or the permanent cover against mechanical and other influences. For similar reasons, it is also desirable that the material, from which the removable protective cover is formed, is antistatic, since otherwise an electric charge could be generated during the sitting on and kneading of the seat material, which may not only cause sparking and generation of magnetic forces that can even transform the material / change its position, but also cause potential interference in the operation of sensitive electronic assemblies that are present either in the vehicle or in the devices, with which the vehicle’s functions are tested and/or controlled.

In addition to what has been said so far, it is worth mentioning that, depending on the intensity of its use, the removable seat cover, in most cases, is in principle inappropriate for being reused. As a rule, the cover is discarded and a new, previously unused removable seat cover, is used in each newly made vehicle.

A removable seat cover is described, inter alia, in EP 2 913 224 Al and is configured as a two-layer cover consisting of a front layer intended to rest on the seat and back surface of a seat facing the user sitting in the vehicle, and a rear layer intended to rest on the surfaces of the seat and back of said seat facing away from said user.

The front layer is made of non-woven fabric/fleece, while the rear layer is made of an elastic plastic film, with the front and rear layers being welded together. The material of the cover of this type is, in principle, permeable to air and moisture, and therefore allows the penetration of the introduced and condensed moisture into the surface of the permanent seat cover, and thus the occurrence of the above-mentioned associated problems. In principle, a plastics-based film is impermeable to moisture, so it adequately protects the surface of the seat from moisture but not from condensed moisture that occurs when the heated humid air enters the surface of the film, gets cool and the moisture condenses. The condensed moisture, however, is usually relatively difficult to be removed from beneath the surface of the plastic foil due to its impermeability and it can cause problems, including mould, on the seat surface. In addition, the plastic foil adheres to the surface of the permanent cover when the interior of the vehicle, for instance, is strongly heated due to an external impact and permanently visible spots remain on the permanent cover after the protective cover is removed. In general, the plastic film exhibits relatively poor antistatic properties and an electrical charge is generated on the film or on the surfaces it contacts, which can, inter alia, cause interference in the operation of the electronic devices in the vicinity. Yet additional problem of the known removable protective seat cover is the sawn/welded joint between the two layers of the cover, especially in the area on the front side of the seat around the seating area, upon which the user acts with the predominant part of its weight and the muscle force in the legs and lumbar region.

Said joint between said layers of the cover is present in the zone of critical loads, especially at the front edge of the seating part, i.e. while in use below the user’s knees. During intense use, this can cause the cover to tear in the joint area, rendering the cover substantially useless. Moreover, said joint between the two layers is also palpable and may therefore be disturbing to the user as such, and may, when in contact with the relatively coarse fabric of the user's workwear, emit a certain sound that may disturb the user e.g. when listening to the operation of the engine or individual assemblies in a vehicle while testing the vehicle immediately after it has been manufactured. Disturbing may also be the rustling or swooshing sound of the plastic film in the rear layer on the back and bottom side of the seat in all cases where the user changes his position while sitting on the seat. The presence of said non- woven fabric and plastic film layers is also problematic from a recycling point of view. Non- woven fabric cannot be recycled with a plastic film or vice versa. It is a known fact that huge quantities of vehicles are produced worldwide. Given the fact that every newly built vehicle is temporarily fitted with a removable protective cover, it goes without saying that the need for adequate and economical recycling of such huge quantities of disposable seat protective covers is one of serious aspects in the manufacture and commercialization of the removable seat covers, with which manufacturers supply vehicle manufacturers.

A further removable seat cover is also known from EP 3 208 143 AI. It consists of a back part consisting of antistatic polypropylene and a front part also consisting of antistatic polypropylene, over which a non-slip polyethylene film is applied. The front and back parts are interconnected by means of ultrasonic welding or adhesive or hot bonding, wherein said polyethylene film adheres to said polypropylene layer. Said layer of polypropylene, for which the above-mentioned source does not precisely specify whether it is arranged on the side of the antistatic propylene layer facing the seat or facing away from the seat, causes in any event that, owing to its presence, the front of the cover becomes impermeable to both liquid and gas, which is associated with the previously described inconvenience during the use of the cover. In addition, the front and back parts are practically completely interconnected, with their joint being available even in the zones of heaviest loads, which in this case is also related to the previously described inconveniences and risks.

The invention relates to a removable protective cover for a seat of a motor vehicle, precisely for a seat of a type consisting of a seat base and a backrest, wherein said seat base is provided to accommodate a user with an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, while said backrest is provided with a front backrest surface and a rear backrest surface opposite the front backrest surface, both providing support to the user.

Said cover generally comprises a front part and a rear part. The front part of the cover, which, while in use, faces both the user and the seat, is represented by the seat area adapted to cover said upper seat base surface of said seat intended for sitting, and a backrest area adapted to cover the front backrest surface on the backrest of the seat. The back part of the cover, which, while in use, faces away from the user and faces the respective seat, is represented by the bottom area which, when the cover is arranged on the seat, extends over at least a part of said bottom surface of the seat base, and by the rear area, which, when the cover is arranged on the seat, extends over at least a part of said rear surface of the seat backrest.

In the cover according to the invention, each of the two aforementioned parts of the cover consists of a multilayer material, namely of inseparably connected non-woven layers of thermoplastic polypropylene impregnated with an antistatic agent, wherein

- an inner layer, i. e. the layer closest to the seat when the cover is arranged on the seat, is a layer of non-woven thermoplastic polypropylene permeable to liquid, vapour and gases;

- an intermediate layer of non-woven thermoplastic polypropylene, arranged closely at said inner layer, is a layer impermeable to liquids, while permeable to vapour and gases;

- an outer layer arranged at the side of the intermediate layer opposite the side of the inner layer, i. e. on the side of the material of the cover distant from the seat, is like the inner layer a layer of non-woven thermoplastic polypropylene permeable to liquid, vapour and gases.

Said inner layer is further provided, yet only in that part of the seat area adapted to cover said upper area of the seat base of the seat intended for sitting, with a further anti-slip coating, preferably based on polyolefins, and is also permeable to liquid, vapour and gases, its permeability at 100 Pa according to SIST EN ISO 9073 is at least 180 l/dm ² .

The front part of the cover is formed of a seat area and a backrest area, which are at least in the area corresponding to the transition area between the seat base and the backrest of the seat, interconnected either by ultrasonic or thermal welding or by a seam. The back part of the cover is formed of a bottom area, which is made uniform with the seat area of the front part, and the rear area, which is formed uniformly with the backrest area of the front part. The transition between the seat area and the bottom area at the first end edge of the cover, which, while in use, is located on the seat base of the seat, is made by folding the cover material, while along the remaining edges at the contact between the front and back parts of the cover, said seat area and the bottom area are interconnected either by ultrasonic or thermal welding or by a seam. The transition between the backrest area and the rear area at the remaining end edge of the cover, which, while in use, is located on the backrest of the seat, is made by folding, while along the remaining edges at the contact between the front and back parts of the cover, said backrest area and the rear area are interconnected either by ultrasonic or thermal welding or by a seam.

In a preferred embodiment of the cover according to the invention, said inner layer and said outer layer of the cover material are each composed of non-woven thermoplastic polypropylene fibres weighing 20-100 g/m ² , the permeability of each of said layers to vapour and gas being at least 180 l/dm ² at 100 Pa according to SIST EN ISO 9073, in addition, each layer is impregnated with an antistatic agent at least to the extent that its surface resistance does not exceed 100 GOhm ESD (IEC 6134- 5-3). The intermediate layer of the seat cover material, which also consists of non- woven thermoplastic polypropylene fibres, is impermeable to liquid at least up to 20 mbar according to SIST EN ISO 9073. The coefficient of friction of the anti-slip layer applied on the surface of the inner layer in the area of the seat surface according to EN 1724 is at least 0.35. The sound emission of the cover material during creasing or rubbing of the cover does not exceed 40 dB.

The invention will now be explained by way of an embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawing of which

Fig. 1 is a schematically illustrated, in isometric view, removable protective cover for a seat of a motor vehicle of the invention, in the state during its use, namely after being mounted on the motor vehicle seat;

Fig. 2 is the cover material in the cross-section in plane A-A;

Fig. 3 is the cover material in seat area of the cover, again in the cross-section in plane B-B. The invention provides a removable protective cover 2 for a seat 1 of a motor vehicle, particularly for a seat 1 of a type consisting of a seat base 11 and a backrest 12, said seat base 11 being provided to accommodate a user with an upper surface and a bottom surface opposite the upper surface, while said backrest 12 of the seat 1 is provided with a front backrest surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface, both providing support to the user. Said seat base 11 and said backrest 12 of the seat 1 of this type usually each individually consists of a metallic frame covered in a soft lining, and all together is then covered in an aesthetic seat cover. Said frame of the seat base 11 is mechanically coupled to a suitable slide that is attached to the bottom of the vehicle body to allow the seat to be adjusted in the vehicle. On the other hand, the frame of the backrest 12 is coupled to the frame of the seat base 11 by a hinge or an adequate adjusting/locking mechanism, thereby allowing the backrest 12 to be positioned relative to the seat base 11.

The protective cover 2 generally comprises a front part 21 that faces the user after the cover 2 has been arranged on the seat 1 , and a back part 22 that faces away from the user while in use.

The front part 21 of the cover 2 is represented by a seat area 211 adapted to cover said upper seat base 11 of said seat 1 intended for sitting, and a backrest area 212 adapted to cover the front backrest surface on the backrest 12 of the seat 1. The back part 22 of the cover 2 is represented by a bottom area 221 which, when the cover 2 is arranged on the seat 1, extends over at least a portion of said bottom surface of the seat base 11 of the seat 1, and by a rear area 222, which, when the cover 2 is arranged on the seat 1, extends over at least a portion of said rear surface of the backrest 12 of the seat 1.

Each of the two mentioned parts 21, 22 of the cover of Fig. 1 is made of a multilayer material 3, namely of inseparably interconnected layers 31, 32, 33 (Fig. 2), which are each made of a non-woven thermoplastic material based on polypropylene fibres, in addition, all said layers 31, 32, 33 either individually or jointly are impregnated with an antistatic agent. Said layers 31, 32, 33 are arranged in the material 3 of the cover 2 as described below.

An inner layer 31 of non-woven fibrous thermoplastic polypropylene on the cover 2, when the latter is arranged on the seat 1 , is arranged closest to the seat 1 and represents a layer of non-woven thermoplastic polypropylene permeable to liquid, vapour and gases.

Directly next to said inner layer 31, an intermediate layer 32 made of non-woven thermoplastic polypropylene is arranged and this layer is impermeable to liquids, while permeable to vapour and gases.

The outer layer 33 of the material 3 of the cover 2 made of non-woven fibrous thermoplastic polypropylene arranged at the side of the intermediate layer 32 opposite the side of the inner layer 31, i. e. on the side of the cover 2 distant from the seat 1, is like said inner layer 31 a layer of non-woven thermoplastic polypropylene permeable to liquid, vapour and gases.

Only in that portion of the seat area 211 of the cover 2 which is adapted to cover said upper surface of the seat base 11 of said seat 1 intended for sitting, the inner layer 31 of the cover 2 of the material 3 is further provided with an anti-slip coating 34. In the embodiment, said anti-slip coating 34 is made from a polyolefin-based material. The coating is applied in a way that the anti-slip coating 34 is permeable to liquid, vapour and gases, its permeability at 100 Pa according to SIST EN ISO 9073 is at least 180 l/dm ² .

The front part 21 of the protective cover 2 is formed of a seat area 211 and a backrest area 212, which are at least in the area corresponding to a transition 2020 between the seat base 11 and the backrest 12 of the seat 1, interconnected either by ultrasonic or thermal welding or by a seam.

The back part 22 of the cover 2 is formed of a bottom area 221 , which is made uniform with the seat area 211 of the front part 21, and the back area 222, which is formed uniformly with the backrest area 212 of the front part 21. A transition 2021 between the seat area 211 and the bottom area 221 at the first end edge of the cover 2, which, while in use, is located on the seat base 11 of the seat 1, is made by a fold, while along the remaining edges at the contact between the front part 21 and back part 22 of the cover 2, the seat area 211 and the bottom area 221 are interconnected either by ultrasonic or thermal welding or by a seam. In analogy, a transition 2022 between the backrest area 212 and the rear area 222 at the remaining end edge of the cover 2, which, while in use, is located on the backrest 12 of the seat 1, is made by a fold, while along the remaining edges at the contact between the front part 21 and back part 22 of the cover 2, the backrest area 212 and the rear area 222 are interconnected either by ultrasonic or thermal welding or by a seam.

The inner layer 31 of the material 3 of the cover 2 consists of non-woven thermoplastic polypropylene fibres weighing 20-100 g/m ² , its permeability to vapour and gas being at least 180 1/dm ² at 100 Pa according to SIST EN ISO 9073, in addition, it is impregnated with an antistatic agent at least to the extent that its surface resistance does not exceed 100 GOhm ESD (IEC 6134-5-3).

The outer layer 33 of the material 3 of the cover 2 consists of non-woven thermoplastic polypropylene fibres weighing 20-100 g/m ² , its permeability to vapour and gas being at least 180 1/dm ² at 100 Pa according to SIST EN ISO 9073, in addition, it is impregnated with an antistatic agent at least to the extent that its surface resistance does not exceed 100 GOhm ESD (IEC 6134-5-3).

The intermediate layer 32 of the material 3 of the protective cover 2 consists of non- woven thermoplastic polypropylene fibres, yet is impermeable to liquid at least up to 20 mbar according to SIST EN ISO 9073. The coefficient of friction of the anti-slip layer 34 present on the surface of the inner layer 31 of the material 3 of the protective cover 2 in the area of the seat surface 211 is at least 0.35 in accordance with EN 1724, the sound emission of the material 3 of the protective cover 2 of the invention during creasing or rubbing does not exceed 40 dB. The protective seat cover 2 thus configured undoubtedly provides adequate protection of the outer surface of the car seat 1 from dirt and mechanical damage that could occur during regular use during the period from the manufacture of the vehicle to the delivery of the vehicle to the customer; in principle, it is also applicable in certain cases during the use of the vehicle e.g. during repair, maintenance and servicing.

The protective cover 2 is antistatic and does not slip on the surface of the seat 2 when used while being permeable to vapour and gas, yet impermeable to liquid, thus allowing the seat to be ventilated to dry the condensed moisture or to eliminate the substances which are released from the materials, of which certain parts installed in the vehicle are made from, for a certain time. In addition, the cover is formed without welds at least on most critical sites that are most heavily used during use, which could either damage the cover 2 during use or cause undesired acoustic emissions. On top of this, the cover 2 of the invention is made of a single multilayer material 3, all layers 31, 32, 33 of which, including the coating 34, can be recycled simultaneously and completely, and in particular without any further action, such as e.g. separating said layers 31, 32, 33 and/or coating 34.