Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Door or window with specified vehicle feature
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-20
2004-08-10
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Door or window with specified vehicle feature
C296S001090, C224S926000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06773055
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle doorframe mountable armrest for use in connection with vehicles. The vehicle doorframe mountable armrest has particular utility in connection with providing an armrest for a vehicle with two-piece doors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle doorframe mountable armrests are desirable for providing an armrest for a vehicle with two-piece doors. Driving or riding in a vehicle for long periods of time can cause the occupant's arms to fatigue when they are left dangling unsupported. Unfortunately, many vehicles having two-piece doors do not have armrests built in. Vehicle doorframe mountable armrests overcome this deficiency by providing an armrest that is easily installed on the bottom half of a two-piece door when the top half of the two-piece door is not needed. Optional padding and a swivelable cupholder further increase the utility of the vehicle doorframe mountable armrest. Moreover, the vehicle doorframe mountable armrest can be produced in a variety of colors to match the interior of the vehicle in which it is installed.
The use of adjustable armrests for installation in a vehicle is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,497 to Wiles discloses an adjustable armrest for installation in a vehicle. However, the Wiles '497 patent does not have a swivelable cupholder, and has further drawbacks of lacking opposing ends that are adapted to fit into receiving holes present in the top of the bottom half of a two-piece vehicle door.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,601 to Carlberg discloses a vehicle door top armrest that provides a place for comfortable placement of a driver's arm. However, the Carlberg '601 patent does not have a cupholder, and additionally does not have opposing ends that are adapted to fit into receiving holes present in the top of the bottom half of a two-piece vehicle door.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 1,650,385 to Payton discloses an arm rest that supports the arm of an occupant of a vehicle. However, the Payton '385 patent does not have a cupholder, and lacks opposing ends that are adapted to fit into receiving holes present in the top of the bottom half of a two-piece vehicle door.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 6,120,088 to Terranova discloses a car arm restor that rests the arm of persons within most vehicles. However, the Terranova '088 patent does not have a swivelable cupholder, and also does not have opposing ends that are adapted to fit into receiving holes present in the top of the bottom half of a two-piece vehicle door.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 390,530 to Robinson discloses a detachable arm rest for motor vehicles that supports the arm of an occupant of a motor vehicle. However, the Robinson '530 patent does not have a cupholder, and further lacks opposing ends that are adapted to fit into receiving holes present in the top of the bottom half of a two-piece vehicle door.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 36,059 to Thomas discloses an adjustable window mounting vehicle accessory that provides comfort and support as an arm rest. However, the Thomas '059 patent does not have a swivelable cupholder, and has the additional deficiency of lacking opposing ends that are adapted to fit into receiving holes present in the top of the bottom half of a two-piece vehicle door.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,401 to Ott discloses a vehicle arm rest that can be easily adjusted to make the height of the arm rest convenient for the user-occupant. However, the Ott '401 patent does not have a cupholder, and further lacks opposing ends that are adapted to fit into receiving holes present in the top of the bottom half of a two-piece vehicle door.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a vehicle doorframe mountable armrest that allows providing an armrest for a vehicle with two-piece doors. The above patents make no provision for opposing ends that are adapted to fit into receiving holes present in the top of the bottom half of a two-piece vehicle door. The Wiles '497 patent, the Terranova '088 patent, and the Thomas '059 patent lack a swivelable cupholder. The Carlberg '601 patent, the Payton '385 patent, the Robinson '530 patent, and the Ott '401 patent do not have a cupholder.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved vehicle doorframe mountable armrest that can be used for providing an armrest for a vehicle with two-piece doors. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need. In this respect, the vehicle doorframe mountable armrest according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing an armrest for a vehicle with two-piece doors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of adjustable armrests for installation in a vehicle now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved vehicle doorframe mountable armrest, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved vehicle doorframe mountable armrest which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a vehicle doorframe mountable armrest which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a plurality of second bars having opposing ends with one end attached to the opposing ends of a first bar. A plurality of third bars have one end attached to the opposing end of the second bars. The second bars are at a right angle to the first bar with a horizontal orientation, and the third bars are at a right angle to the second bars with a vertical orientation.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The invention may also include a pad enclosing the first bar. There may be a plurality of clamps removably connected to the opposing end of the third bars. A cupholder may be removably connected to one of the second bars. The cupholder may comprise a mounting clamp with a cup-receiving ring attached to one end. The first bar, second bars, and third bars may be made of plastic, steel, aluminum, titanium, wood, or carbon fiber composite. The pad may be made of plastic, rubber, or neoprene. The opposing ends of the third bars may be adapted to fit in receptacles for an upper half of a two-piece vehicle door. The first bar may have a length of about 13½ inches. The second bars and third bars may have a length of about 3 inches. The invention may be a single bar with its opposing ends having a horizontal, right angle band and then a vertical, right angle bend. The bar may have a diameter of about ⅜ of an inch. The bar may be painted. There may be a pad enclosing the middle of the bar. The cupholder may comprise a mounting clamp with a screw hole in one end and a cup-receiving ring swivelably attached to its opposing end. There may be a screw removably threadedly inserted into the screw hole. The clamp may comprise a clamp body with a doorframe member hole in one end and a sleeve insert hole in its opposing end. A hollow sleeve insert maybe removably inserted into the sleeve insert hole, and a securing screw may be removably threadedly inserted into the clamp body. The invention may comprise an improvement to the bottom half of a two-piece vehicle door. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinaf
Stoudt, Jr. James F.
Stoudt, Sr. James F.
Blankenship Greg
Dayoan D. Glenn
LandOfFree
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