Surgery – Body rests – supports or positioners for therapeutic purpose
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-14
2003-05-20
Brown, Michael A. (Department: 3764)
Surgery
Body rests, supports or positioners for therapeutic purpose
C602S019000, C180S065100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06564802
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to orthopedic braces, supports, and the like, and more particularly to a device which may be temporarily secured to the conventional roof supports of a golf cart to assist in supporting a physically disabled golfer during his or her swing. The present support is relatively lightweight and compact in its stored configuration, and is easily installed upon and removed from the golf cart to enable the disabled golfer to install the device temporarily upon any conventional golf cart as desired. Alternatively, a club or other organization may equip one or more carts with the present support in order to provide such specially equipped carts to physically handicapped golfers, as desired.
2. Description of the Related Art
Golf is an activity enjoyed by ever increasing numbers of people throughout the world. Many people become involved in the game at a relatively young age, and continue to play throughout their lives. The game is not particularly demanding in the physical sense, and requires only normal health and conditioning for the golfer to be able to play reasonably well.
While the undemanding physical nature of the game may be seen as an advantage to many fans of the game, it can be frustrating for the older or physically disabled golfer who was able to play the game for most his or her life, but has later encountered physical disabilities which hamper his or her ability to play. In many more vigorous sports and activities, this might be accepted as a part of life, but since golf is such a relatively undemanding physical activity, and moreover enables the golfer to enjoy the outdoors and also serves as a social activity, many physically handicapped golfers are justifiably frustrated that they can no longer enjoy what in many cases was a life long activity for them.
Some physically handicapped golfers have made some attempts to continue playing the game by arranging for another person or player to assist in supporting them during each golf swing, or alternatively bracing themselves upon the fender of a golf cart. Such makeshift solutions are not satisfactory. Being held by another person is distracting to the golfer to say the least, and such support is not at all steady or secure in most instances, particularly as the golfer is moving through his or her golf swing. While a golf cart may provide more steady and secure support, the structure of the cart often interferes with the golfer's swing, particularly on longer shots with greater back swings.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a support for a physically disabled golfer, which support may be removably secured to the roof supports of a conventional golf cart for supporting the golfer in turn. The present golfer support essentially comprises a telescoping tubular structure which removably clamps laterally across the two forward (or rear) uprights supporting the roof of a conventional golf cart. One portion of the support is laterally extendible from the other, and includes a removably attachable belt or harness extending from its distal end. Some accommodation is also provided in the attachment system, to provide some vertical play in the distal belt or harness end for golfers of different heights and for slight differences in terrain, etc.
The golfer merely positions the golf cart as desired for a given shot, extends the distal arm as required, applies the support belt around his or her waist, and makes the golf stroke. The lateral adjustment of the extendible portion, along with the accommodation of the belt attachment to the distal end of the extension arm, allow the golfer to adjust his or her position slightly as desired. The golfer may make the golf stroke with complete confidence that such physical handicaps as difficulty in maintaining balance, difficulty in supporting one's weight, etc., will not cause the golfer to fall. Once the golf shot has been made, the golfer need only release the support belt from around his or her waist, retract the extension arm, and return to the golf cart to travel to the next shot to continue play.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,969 issued on Feb. 11, 1958 to Wayne L. Cooper, titled “Golf Bag Locating And Retaining Carrier Means For Vehicles,” describes a brace which is permanently installed in the back of a golf cart, for supporting a pair of golf bags therein. The device includes a base plate with a flange which is attached to the golf cart by self tapping screws or the like, for an essentially permanent installation. A pair of opposed upright arms are provided, with each arm having an adjustable loop or belt thereon for securing about a golf bag. The Cooper device cannot be temporarily secured to and removed from the golf cart; its arms cannot be disposed horizontally to support a person at some distance from the cart; and the golf bag support loops cannot be adjusted to support a golfer standing away from the cart.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,708,182 issued on Jan. 2, 1973 to Henry Markiel, titled “Combination Wheel Chair And Walker,” describes an attachment for a conventional wheel chair, comprising an inverted, generally U-shaped frame which clamps removably to the front legs of the wheel chair. A forwardly disposed stabilizing brace and wheel extends from the upper center of the frame. The device provides support for a person who wishes to get some walking exercise, but who otherwise uses the wheel chair. The Markiel walker has no telescoping arm to support a person away from the chair, nor does it provide any waist belt support.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,448 issued on Dec. 16, 1975 to Kenneth Reichard, titled “Golf Cart Pulling Apparatus,” describes a manually propelled golf cart with an extension for securing about the waist of a person for pulling the cart. The telescopic arm which connects the waist belt to the cart, attaches to the cart at a low point between the two forward wheels and extends upwardly therefrom, rather than securing horizontally across the cart structure at approximately waist height, as does the present golfer support. The Reichard device teaches away from the present golfer support, as Reichard is interested in providing means for the golfer to propel the cart using a waist belt, rather than providing a device to allow the cart to support the golfer, as in the present physically disabled golfer support invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,270,721 issued on Jun. 2, 1981 to Ross F. Mainor, Jr., titled “Instrument Support,” describes a telescoping cantilever arm for removably clamping to another structure. The unsupported distal end of the device includes a cylindrical socket for temporarily holding a surveying instrument. No adjustment of the socket is provided, and it cannot be adapted to fit about the waist of a person. The Mainor, Jr. support teaches away from the present support in that no articulation of the instrument support socket or the support arm are provided, nor is such articulation desirable in an instrument support, which must provide a rigid mounting for the instrument. In contrast, the present golfer support provides vertical articulation for the extended distal end of the device, as well as articulation for the belt attachment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,889 issued on May 3, 1994 to William D. Bohannon, titled “Portable Golf Cart,” describes a small, tricycle cart having a single seat with an upright stanchion for securing a golf bag thereto. The stanchion includes a pair of semicircular collar sections and straps for securing about the golf bag. However, no articulation of the rigidly attached collar sections is provided, and in any event, the collars and straps are not adapted to fit about the waist of a golfer to support him or her during play, as provided by the present invention. The Bohannon stanchion is not horizontally cantilevered from the cart to support a golfer standing upon the underlying surface, as is the present sup
Brown Michael A.
Litman Richard C.
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