Package and article carriers – Vehicle attached – Carrier attached to special purpose vehicle
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-09
2002-10-15
Cronin, Stephen K. (Department: 3727)
Package and article carriers
Vehicle attached
Carrier attached to special purpose vehicle
C224S042150, C224S042240
Reexamination Certificate
active
06464119
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a wheelchair mount for spare tires and more particularly pertains to allowing spare tires for a wheelchair to be carried with the wheelchair for use when needed.
Many individuals require the use of a wheelchair. For non-ambulatory individuals, a wheelchair provides a convenient means of mobility. The smooth and continued operation of the wheelchair largely depends on the condition of the wheels. Typical wheelchairs have a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels. The rear wheels are generally larger than the front wheels. On many wheelchair designs, the front and rear wheels are configured similarly to automobile tires whereby air is used to expand the wheels to a usable size. Unfortunately, as with automobile tires, the wheelchair wheels can be damaged to a point known as a “flat tire.” This situation requires the wheel or tire to be changed. On automobiles, this is not a problem because most automobiles are equipped with a spare tire. The problem with wheelchairs exists in that they do not allow a spare wheel to be carried if such a problem arises. Thus, these exists a need for the means to carry spare wheels on a wheelchair in the event one of the wheels of the wheelchair is damaged.
The present invention attempts to solve the abovementioned problem by providing a bracket that can be mounted on a back of a wheelchair to hold spare wheels.
The use of wheelchair accessory devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, wheelchair accessory devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of providing assistance to wheelchair users 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.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,218 to Laone discloses a mount assembly for a vehicle spare tire. U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,927 discloses an accessory support frame for a wheelchair.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a wheelchair mount for spare tires for allowing spare tires for a wheelchair to be carried with the wheelchair for use when needed.
In this respect, the wheelchair mount for spare tires 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 allowing spare tires for a wheelchair to be carried with the wheelchair for use when needed.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved wheelchair mount for spare tires which can be used for allowing spare tires for a wheelchair to be carried with the wheelchair for use when needed. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of wheelchair accessory devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved wheelchair mount for spare tires. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved wheelchair mount for spare tires which has all the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises an elongated bracket having a generally rectangular configuration. The bracket has a short upper edge, a short lower edge, and long opposed side edges. The bracket is adapted for securement to a rear surface of a backrest of the wheelchair. A pair of support rods is secured to and extend outwardly from the elongated bracket. The pair of support rods includes an upper rod and a lower rod disposed in a spaced relationship. The upper rod serves to hold a front wheel of the wheelchair. The lower rod serves to hold a rear wheel of the wheelchair.
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, of course, 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 purpose 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 several 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.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wheelchair mount for spare tires which have all the advantages of the prior art wheelchair accessory devices and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wheelchair mount for spare tires which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wheelchair mount for spare tires which are of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wheelchair mount for spare tires which are 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 a wheelchair mount for spare tires economically available to the buying public.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved wheelchair mount for spare tires for allowing spare tires for a wheelchair to be carried with the wheelchair for use when needed.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved wheelchair mount for spare tires including an elongated bracket adapted for securement to a rear surface of a backrest of the wheelchair. A pair of support rods is secured to and extend outwardly from the elongated bracket. The pair of support rods includes an upper rod and a lower rod disposed in a spaced relationship. The upper rod serves to hold a front wheel of the wheelchair. The lower rod serves to hold a rear wheel of the wheelchair.
These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2754974 (1956-07-01), Larson
patent: 2860788 (1958-11-01), Hardman
patent: 3938667 (1976-02-01), Buckland
patent: 4094415 (1978-06-01), Larson
patent: 5407170 (1995-04-01), Slivon et al.
patent: 5499724 (1996-03-01), Hickman
patent: 6039226 (2000-03-01), Brown et al.
patent: 6059155 (2000-05-01), Young
Cronin Stephen K.
Goldstein & Lavas P.C.
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