US4949887A — Insulated multi-use seat cushion with closable ha…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 480 words

An insulating seat cushion which can also provide an insulating container or insulate a human user's hands or feet, comprising, in combination: front and back panels, each of which has top, bottom and two side edges, each panel having inner and outer opposing major surfaces, said panels being positioned in an overlying, face-to-face relationship such that their inner surfaces face each other, each of said panels being made of insulating material, said panels being permanently joined directly together at their bottom edges and their respective corresponding side edges, including the top of each side edge and along the length of said corresponding side edges, except for a pair of side openings, such that when nothing is positioned between said front and back panels, (a) said inner surfaces of said front and back panels will be in contact with each other, (b) said inner surfaces will lie parallel to each other, and (c) said entire panels, including said outer surfaces thereof, will be parallel to each other, whereby said device with said opposing and parallel outer surfaces can be usable as a cushion, said front and back panels being large enough so that said device can contain the hands or feet of a user, or cover the seat area of such user, each of said side openings being spaced from the top of its side edge and being shorter than its respective side edge, but wide enough to accommodate the passage of a hand therethrough so that said hand can be posititioned between said inner surfaces of said panels, a pair of closure flaps for repeatably closing and opening said respective side openings, each of said closure flaps having one end which is attached to the exterior of one side of said cushion and being arranged so that a user's hand can be inserted into said side opening and remain in said cushion without contacting a closure flap, each of said closure flaps having a height which is less than the height of its respective side edge, the exterior of the other side of said cushion and an opposite end of each closure flap containing means for temporarily attaching said opposite end of each closure flap to the exterior of said other side of said cushion, said cushion having a relatively large top opening which extends substantially across the entire width of the top portion of said cushion from side edge to side edge, and means for repeatably closing the opening said relatively large top opening, whereby said cushion can alternatively be used as a hand warmer by inserting one's hands through said side openings with said top opening closed, a foot warmer by inserting one's feet through said top opening with said side openings closed, as a seat cushion by closing both said top and said side openings, and as an insulated container by placing hot or cold objects therein.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 480 words

An insulating seat cushion which can also provide an insulating container or insulate a human user's hands or feet, comprising, in combination: front and back panels, each of which has top, bottom and two side edges, each panel having inner and outer opposing major surfaces, said panels being positioned in an overlying, face-to-face relationship such that their inner surfaces face each other, each of said panels being made of insulating material, said panels being permanently joined directly together at their bottom edges and their respective corresponding side edges, including the top of each side edge and along the length of said corresponding side edges, except for a pair of side openings, such that when nothing is positioned between said front and back panels, (a) said inner surfaces of said front and back panels will be in contact with each other, (b) said inner surfaces will lie parallel to each other, and (c) said entire panels, including said outer surfaces thereof, will be parallel to each other, whereby said device with said opposing and parallel outer surfaces can be usable as a cushion, said front and back panels being large enough so that said device can contain the hands or feet of a user, or cover the seat area of such user, each of said side openings being spaced from the top of its side edge and being shorter than its respective side edge, but wide enough to accommodate the passage of a hand therethrough so that said hand can be posititioned between said inner surfaces of said panels, a pair of closure flaps for repeatably closing and opening said respective side openings, each of said closure flaps having one end which is attached to the exterior of one side of said cushion and being arranged so that a user's hand can be inserted into said side opening and remain in said cushion without contacting a closure flap, each of said closure flaps having a height which is less than the height of its respective side edge, the exterior of the other side of said cushion and an opposite end of each closure flap containing means for temporarily attaching said opposite end of each closure flap to the exterior of said other side of said cushion, said cushion having a relatively large top opening which extends substantially across the entire width of the top portion of said cushion from side edge to side edge, and means for repeatably closing the opening said relatively large top opening, whereby said cushion can alternatively be used as a hand warmer by inserting one's hands through said side openings with said top opening closed, a foot warmer by inserting one's feet through said top opening with said side openings closed, as a seat cushion by closing both said top and said side openings, and as an insulated container by placing hot or cold objects therein.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 76 words

The cushion of claim 1 wherein each of said side flaps is substantially as wide as its side opening, is connected to one of said front and back side panels, and can be folded over its respective side opening to close said opening and lie adjacent said other panel, said other panel and each of said flaps having mating sealing means for repeatable attachment and release of said flap to the outside of said other panel.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 21 words

The cushion of claim 2 wherein each of said side flaps is a continuation of said back panel of said cushion.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 85 words

The cushion of claim 1 wherein said means for repeatably closing and opening said relatively large opening comprises a relatively large flap which is an extension of one of said front and back side panels and which can be position over said relatively large opening to close said relatively large opening and lie adjacent the other of said panels, said other panel and said relatively large flap having mating sealing means for attachment of said relatively large flap to the outside of said other panel.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 90 words

The cushion of claim 4 wherein said relatively large opening is at the top of said cushion and said relatively large flap is a top flap, and further including a relatively small top flap inside said relatively large top flap and mounted in the center of said relatively large opening of said cushion, said relatively small flap arranged to connect said front and back panels at said relatively large opening so as to divide said top opening of said cushion into two apertures for the respective feet of a user.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 28 words

The cushion of claim 1 wherein each side of said cushion is permanently sealed for a length of each side below as well as above each side opening.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 26 words

The cushion of claim 1 wherein said pair of closure flaps for repeatably closing and opening said side openings each includes multiple hook and loop fasteners.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 33 words

The cushion of claim 1 wherein said front and back panels are each rectangular in shape and are each made of multiple layers of material, one of said layers being an insulating layer.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 44 words

The cushion of claim 8 wherein said pair of closure flaps for repeatably closing and opening said side openings and said means for repeatably closing and opening said relatively large opening are made of material portions which are integral extensions of said back panel.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 60 words

The hollow cushion of claim 1 wherein each of said closure flaps contains a layer of insulating material so that is sufficiently thick in cross-section so that it will reduce by at least 3/8" the maximum circumference of a hand that can be inserted into its corresponding side opening when said side flap has been inserted into said side opening.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 49 words

The hollow cushion of claim 1 wherein one of said front and back panels has a discrete area, smaller than said panel, which contains multiple perforation for permitting the passage of heat in a controlled fashion between said interior space of said cushion and the outside of said cushion.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 74 words

The insulated hollow cushion of claim 1, further including an auxiliary insulated flap for controlling the passage of heat between said interior space of said cushion and the outside of said cushion, said auxiliary insulated flap having means for repeatably being attached and detached onto the area of said panel which covers said discrete area thereof so as to alternatively restrict or permit the flow of heat through said perforated portion of said panel.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 45 words

The cushion of claim 11 wherein said front and back panels are each rectangular in shape and are each made of multiple layers of material, one of said layers being an insulating layer, said insulating layer including said discrete area which contains said multiple perforations.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 313 words

A hollow cushion for insulating a human user's hands or feet, or for providing an insulating seat cushion, or for providing an insulating container, comprising, in combination: a front panel of insulating material having a top edge, a bottom edge, a pair of side edges, and opposing inner and outer major surfaces, a back panel of insulating material having a top edge, a bottom edge, a pair of side edges, and opposing inner and outer major surfaces, said back panel being disposed in underlying, parallel relationship with said front panel to define an interior, said front and back panels being permanently joined directly together along their respective bottom edges and along portions of their respective side edges which extend partially down from their respective tope edges toward said respective bottom edges so as to define an opening on each side edge for insertion of the hands of a user within said interior, such that when nothing is placed between said front and back panels, said inner surfaces of said front and back panels will be adjacent, parallel to, and in contact with each other, and said outer surfaces will be parallel to each other, said front and back panels being large enough so that said device can contain the hands or feet of a user, or cover the seat area of such user, a pair of releasable closure flaps on said panels respectively associated with said side openings, said front and back panels defining an upper opening which extends between said side edges for insertion of the feet of a user within said interior, and releasable closure means on said panels associated with said upper opening, whereby said cushion is selectively usable as a hand warmer with said upper opening closed, a foot warmer with said side openings closed, and as a seat cushion with both said upper and said side openings closed.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 313 words

A hollow cushion for insulating a human user's hands or feet, or for providing an insulating seat cushion, or for providing an insulating container, comprising, in combination: a front panel of insulating material having a top edge, a bottom edge, a pair of side edges, and opposing inner and outer major surfaces, a back panel of insulating material having a top edge, a bottom edge, a pair of side edges, and opposing inner and outer major surfaces, said back panel being disposed in underlying, parallel relationship with said front panel to define an interior, said front and back panels being permanently joined directly together along their respective bottom edges and along portions of their respective side edges which extend partially down from their respective tope edges toward said respective bottom edges so as to define an opening on each side edge for insertion of the hands of a user within said interior, such that when nothing is placed between said front and back panels, said inner surfaces of said front and back panels will be adjacent, parallel to, and in contact with each other, and said outer surfaces will be parallel to each other, said front and back panels being large enough so that said device can contain the hands or feet of a user, or cover the seat area of such user, a pair of releasable closure flaps on said panels respectively associated with said side openings, said front and back panels defining an upper opening which extends between said side edges for insertion of the feet of a user within said interior, and releasable closure means on said panels associated with said upper opening, whereby said cushion is selectively usable as a hand warmer with said upper opening closed, a foot warmer with said side openings closed, and as a seat cushion with both said upper and said side openings closed.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 39 words

The cushion of claim 14 wherein said front and back panels are also permanently joined together along portions of their respective side edges which extend partially up from said bottom edges to said respective openings on said side edges.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 213 words

An insulating hollow cushion, comprising: an insulating wall comprising a front panel and a back panel, said front and back panels each having an inside surface and an outside surface, said front and back panels being joined around at least a portion of their edges so that they define and surround an interior hollow space, and such that said inside surfaces face each other and said outside surfaces face away from each other, each of said panels comprising three adjacent layers, namely an outer layer, a middle insulating layer, and an inner layer, said outer and inner layers sandwiching and in contact with the respective sides of said middle insulating layer, said middle insulating layer of one of said panels having a discrete area, smaller than said one panel, which contains multiple perforations to permit the passage of heat, in a controlled fashion via said perforations, between said hollow interior space of said cushion and the outside of said cushion, the portions of said outer and inner layers of said one panel which sandwich said discrete area of said middle insulating layer are intact, continuous, and completely cover the outside and inside, respectively, of said discrete area of said middle insulating layer so as to completely protect said perforations in said discrete area.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 213 words

An insulating hollow cushion, comprising: an insulating wall comprising a front panel and a back panel, said front and back panels each having an inside surface and an outside surface, said front and back panels being joined around at least a portion of their edges so that they define and surround an interior hollow space, and such that said inside surfaces face each other and said outside surfaces face away from each other, each of said panels comprising three adjacent layers, namely an outer layer, a middle insulating layer, and an inner layer, said outer and inner layers sandwiching and in contact with the respective sides of said middle insulating layer, said middle insulating layer of one of said panels having a discrete area, smaller than said one panel, which contains multiple perforations to permit the passage of heat, in a controlled fashion via said perforations, between said hollow interior space of said cushion and the outside of said cushion, the portions of said outer and inner layers of said one panel which sandwich said discrete area of said middle insulating layer are intact, continuous, and completely cover the outside and inside, respectively, of said discrete area of said middle insulating layer so as to completely protect said perforations in said discrete area.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 26 words

The insulating hollow cushion of claim 16 wherein said multiple perforations in said discrete area of said insulating middle layer are arranged in a two-dimensional array.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 20 words

The insulating hollow cushion of claim 17 wherein said discrete area is positioned in the middle of said one panel.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 78 words

The insulating hollow cushion of claim 16, further including an auxiliary flap for controlling the passage of heat between said interior space of said cushion and the outside of said cushion, said auxiliary insulating flap having means for repeatably being attached and detached over either a part or all of the area of said discrete area of said insulating layer, such that a user can control the flow of heat through said perforated portion of said insulating layer.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 29 words

The insulating hollow cushion of claim 16 wherein each of said perforations in said discrete area of said insulating layer has less than two square inches of cross-sectional area.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1993-08-20	1994-02-19	1994-08-21	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1997-08-20	1998-02-19	1998-08-21	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2001-08-20	2002-02-19	2002-08-21	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Insulated multi-use seat cushion with closable hand and foot openings

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