Supports: racks – Special article – Article includes elongated portion
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-26
2004-03-23
Canfield, Robert (Department: 3637)
Supports: racks
Special article
Article includes elongated portion
C224S915000, C248S351000, C248S163100, C248S176100, C135S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06708831
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to crutches and more particularly pertains to a new vertical support for crutches for stowing crutches in a position that is convenient for the user to reacquire the crutches for use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of crutches is known in the prior art. More specifically, crutches heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art, which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,898, which teaches a vertical crutch support device that attaches directly to one or more crutches to support the crutches in a vertical orientation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,828 teaches a cane with supports to provide additional stability and to allow the user to set the cane in an upright position. U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,001 teaches a cane with adjustable feet to convert from a single tipped configuration to a multi-tipped configuration, which would allow the cane to remain in an upright position when not in use. U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,486 teaches a crutch with a powered telescoping armature specifically for transitioning the user from a sitting to a standing position.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new vertical support for crutches. The inventive device includes one support apparatus attached to one crutch to hold the crutch in a vertical position and a second apparatus that can attach to either crutch to attach the second crutch to the crutch with the support apparatus to provide the same support to the second crutch.
In these respects, the vertical support for crutches according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the stowing of crutches in a position that is convenient for the user to reacquire the crutches for use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of crutches now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new vertical support for crutches construction wherein the same can be utilized for stowing crutches in a position that is convenient for the user to reacquire the crutches for use.
The general purpose of stowing crutches in a position that is convenient for the user to reacquire the crutches for use of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new vertical support for crutches apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the crutches mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new vertical support for crutches which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art crutches, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises one support apparatus that may be attached to one crutch to hold the crutch in a vertical position without the user's aid and a second apparatus that can attach to either the support crutch or a second crutch to couple the second crutch to the crutch with the support apparatus to provide the same upright support to the second crutch as the first crutch enjoys.
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. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the stowing crutches in a position that is convenient for the user to reacquire the crutches for use of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The abstract is neither intended to define the invention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new vertical support for crutches apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the crutches mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new vertical support for crutches, which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art crutches, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new vertical support for crutches, which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new vertical support for crutches, which is of a durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new vertical support for crutches which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such vertical support for crutches economically available to the buying public.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new vertical support for crutches, which provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new vertical support for crutches for stowing crutches in a position that is convenient for the user to reacquire the crutches for use.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new vertical support for crutches, which includes one support apparatus that may be attached to or integrated into one crutch to hold that crutch in a vertical position without the user's aid and a second apparatus that can attach to or be integrated into either the first support crutch or a second crutch to couple the crutches together so that the support apparatus of the first crutch can support both crutches in an upright position.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new vertical support for crutches that can be attached to existing crutches to provide support for holding one or more crutches in an upright position.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new vertical support for crutches that can be integrated into the design of new crutches to provide support for holding one or more crutches in an upright position.
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