Combination in situ outdoor furniture cushions cover and integral handle

Abstract

A removable protective cover that also acts as a carrier for storing and transporting an outdoor furniture cushion of an outdoor piece of furniture having a seat support, arms, back rest, and legs. The protective cushion is unattached and separated from the cushion when covering the cushion adjacent thereto. The protective cushion is a flexible layer which is substantially rectangular with opposite first and second distal ends configured with snap closure fasteners and with an internal handle rod in each of the protective cushion's distal ends. The protective cushion is adapted to wrap around the seat and/or back cushions with the snap fasteners from the first and second distal ends engaging each other for enclosing the cushions for transporting and storage. Internal handles are adapted for carrying the cover enclosing a cushion, and the protective cushion is stored in the chair during normal user occupancy use of the chair.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An outdoor furniture chair and protective cushion cover comprising, in combination:
 a seat support, arms, back rest and legs;   a seat cushion removably resting on said seat support, a back cushion removably resting against said back rest, and a protective cushion cover unattached and separated from said cushions when not covering said cushions;   said protective cushion cover having no joinable attachments to said cushions when said protective cushion cover is covering said cushions adjacent thereto;   said protective cushion being substantially rectangular with first and second distal ends configured with snap closure fasteners and with an internal handle rod in each of said distal ends;   said protective cushion adapted to wrap around said seat and/or back cushions with said snap fasteners from said first and second distal ends engaging each other for enclosing said cushions for transporting and storage;   said internal handles adapted for carrying said cover enclosing said cushions; and   said protective cushion stored in said chair during normal use of said chair.   
     
     
         2 . The outdoor furniture chair and protective cushion cover combination of  claim 1  in which said cover when not deployed for use is rolled up with said fasteners from opposite ends thereof being engaged, said rolled up cover being stored at a rear end of said seat cushion. 
     
     
         3 . The outdoor furniture chair and protective cushion cover combination of  claim 1  in which said cover, during normal use of said chair, is stored under said seat cushion with said first distal end extending out from a front of said seat cushion. 
     
     
         4 . The outdoor furniture chair and protective cushion cover combination of  claim 3  in which said second distal end of said cover extends out through a rear of said back cushion to an upper end of said seat back. 
     
     
         5 . The outdoor furniture chair and protective cushion cover combination of  claim 1  in which said internal handles are aligned adjacent each other when said fasteners both distal ends of said cover are engaged, said aligned handles forming a convenient grasping portion for transporting said cushions wrapped within said cover. 
     
     
         6 . The outdoor furniture chair and protective cushion cover combination of  claim 5 , wherein said grasping portion formed by the joining of said distal ends, with said respective rods enclosed therein, form a pair of teardrop shaped portions in crossection, said teardrop shaped portions being made of a malleable but semi-rigid material, wherein when said teardrop shaped portions emanate angularly outward beyond said fasteners, forming a V-shaped pair with a V-shaped recess extending therebetween. 
     
     
         7 . A method of using a protective cushion cover in combination with a chair having a seat support, arms, back rest, and legs, comprising the steps of:
 removably placing a seat cushion on said seat support;   removably placing a back cushion against said back rest;   storing a protective cushion cover in said chair, said protective cushion being substantially rectangular with first and second distal ends each end configured with snap closure fasteners and with an internal handle rod in each of said distal ends; said protective cushion cover unattached and separated from said cushion when not covering said cushion;   said protective cushion cover having no joinable attachments to said cushions when said protective cushion cover is covering said cushions adjacent thereto;   removing one or both of said cushions for transporting or storage;   
       wrapping said protective cushion cover around said seat and/or back cushions with said snap fasteners from said first and second distal ends engaging each other for enclosing said cushions;
 using said internal handles for carrying said protective cushion cover enclosing said cushions; and 
 storing said protective cushion cover in said chair for later use during normal seating use of said chair. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  in which said cover when not deployed for use is rolled up with said fasteners from opposite ends thereof being engaged, said rolled up cover being stored at a rear end of said seat cushion. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7  in which said cover, during normal seating use of said chair, is stored under said seat cushion with said first distal end extending out from a front of said seat cushion. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  in which said second distal end of said cover extends out through a rear of said back cushion to an upper end of said seat back. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  in which said internal handles are aligned adjacent each other when said fasteners from both distal ends of said cover are engaged, said aligned handles forming a convenient grasping portion for transporting said cushions wrapped within said protective cushion cover. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said grasping portion formed by the joining of said distal ends, with said respective rods enclosed therein, form a pair of teardrop shaped portions in crossection, said teardrop shaped portions being made of a malleable but semi-rigid material, wherein when said teardrop shaped portions emanate angularly outward beyond said fasteners, forming a V-shaped pair with a V-shaped recess extending therebetween. 
     
     
         13 . A protective removable cushion cover that also acts as a carrier for storing and transporting an outdoor furniture cushion of an outdoor piece of furniture having a seat support, arms, back rest, and legs, comprising:
 said protective cushion cover being unattached and separated from the cushion when not covering the cushion;   said protective cushion cover having no joinable attachments to said cushions when said protective cushion cover is covering said cushions adjacent thereto;   said protective cushion cover being a rectangular flexible layer with opposite first and second distal ends configured with snap closure fasteners;   an internal handle rod in each of said distal ends of said rectangular flexible layer;   said protective cushion cover being adapted to wrap around the seat support cushion and/or back cushion;   said respective snap fasteners from said first and second distal ends of said rectangular flexible layer of said protective cushion cover engaging each other for enclosing said seat support cushion and/or back cushion for transporting and storage;   said protective removable cover having respective internal rods at each distal end of said rectangular flexible layer being adapted for carrying the protective cover enclosing at least one cushion;   whereby, said protective cushion is storable in the chair during normal user occupancy use of the chair.   
     
     
         14 . The protective removable cushion cover as in  claim 13  wherein said grasping portion formed by the joining of said distal ends, with said respective rods enclosed therein, form a pair of teardrop shaped portions in crossection, said teardrop shaped portions being made of a malleable but semi-rigid material, wherein when said teardrop shaped portions emanate angularly outward beyond said fasteners, forming a V-shaped pair with a V-shaped recess extending therebetween.