Supports – Brackets – Article holding means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-18
2001-09-11
Ramirez, Ramon O. (Department: 3632)
Supports
Brackets
Article holding means
C206S218000, C220S737000, C220S907000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286798
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
According to an article in the
Medical
&
Healthcare Marketplace Guide
, 1998, there are approximately 1.3 million U.S. wheelchair users with about 700,500 wheelchair users who are under the age of 65. Further, the user population is increasing at a rate of 3% per year due in part to an aging population and also an increased interest by disabled persons to stay mobile and maintain their quality of life.
This invention relates to a beverage container holder that attaches to the arms of wheelchairs and other members.
Wheelchair-bound persons, particularly those who have limited or no use of their arms, have a need for a device to hold their beverages, e.g. soda cans, to their wheelchairs. Without such devices, their beverages slip off the wheelchair arm, someone has to hold the can while they drink, or they choose not to drink and go thirsty. The object of this invention was to provide a beverage holding device for wheelchairs. Another object of the invention was to provide a device that was light and easily transportable. Wheelchair bound persons are limited in what they can carry, often getting around with just a waist pouch, commonly known as a fanny pack. This invention can be compacted to carry in a fanny pack. Additionally, this holder may be used to hold the beverages of the person pushing the wheelchair.
By meeting the above-mentioned objectives, this invention would be particularly useful for wheelchair-bound persons and for those who attend to wheelchair-bound persons. With this invention, a wheelchair-bound person may drink on his own without another person standing by holding the drink and waiting for the wheelchair-bound person to finish drinking. It seems that this would be particularly desirable for the wheelchair-bound person in that he or she would no longer feel rushed to finish drinking and to drink at his or her own leisure. He or she would also have an additional measure of privacy while drinking.
There are other advantages of this invention for wheelchair-bound persons. Most prior art beverage holders that attach to wheelchairs do not elevate the beverage container enough to allow drinking with a standard straw. Furthermore, most necessitate lifting the beverage unless a long straw is available. This invention may attach a beverage container to the top of wheelchair arms. By doing so, this invention elevates the container such that wheelchair-bound persons may easily bend over and drink with the use of a standard straw. Many wheelchair bound persons have upper-extremity weaknesses that make difficult the lifting of a beverage out of its holder in order to drink. This invention eliminates the need for such lifting. Furthermore, because the beverage container is elevated, a wheelchair-bound person would not need to carry an extra long straw.
The top surfaces of most wheelchair arms are cushioned and slightly convex (due to the cushioning). Surprisingly, the holder according to this invention may be attached very securely to a cushioned, convex surface such that the holder will stay in place without slipping or sliding. Being bottomless and allowing direct contact between the beverage container and the wheelchair arm, the holder attached to the wheelchair arm is very stable.
Note also that the holder according to the invention can be adjusted to fit snugly around a beverage container, a feature that is lacking in prior art for wheelchairs. Having a beverage container in a holder that is too big for it can be very annoying to the person using the holder. Further, having a holder which fits too tightly makes it difficult for a person to lift the beverage out, particularly for persons with weak upper extremities. With the holder of the invention, a person may adjust the holder to fit the beverage container to his or her liking.
For persons not desiring to attach their drinks to the tops of their wheelchair arms, this invention may instead attach to non-horizontal members on wheelchairs. For such persons, using a long straw or tube for sipping may be necessary, particularly when due to their disability, they are unable to lift the beverage out of its holder or they are unable to bend over in order to drink from a standard straw. However, a problem with using such long straws or sipping tubes is that the tube tends to slip out of the beverage container when a person sips. With this invention, the tube may be held in place, i.e. in the beverage container, while the person sips. Further, this invention allows for storing the sipping tube when not in use.
Notably, the majority of beverage holders for wheelchairs attach by means of spring clips that clip onto the tubular posts of wheelchairs. As a result, these holders cannot attach to members that are not tube-shaped or members that have tubular diameters too large for the clips to clip to. The holder according to this present invention, on the other hand, may attach to members of differing shapes and sizes. Further, it may attach to members of various orientations, be it horizontal, vertical or diagonal.
Also, the vast majority, if not all, beverage container holders for wheelchairs are made of hard plastic and metal. This invention, due to its compactibility, flexibility and light weight is much easier and less expensive than existing beverage holders to ship and distribute; the invention would not need to be padded for transit and its light weight reduces shipping costs.
This invention also relates to a beverage container holder that attaches to the arm of office chairs. Spilling drinks on office desks, particularly cluttered ones, can be a problem. Additionally, the clutter on some person's desks often prevents them from even having drinks on their desks. This invention solves that problem by allowing a person to secure a drink on the arm or seat of his or her office chair by attaching the holder to the chair arm or seat post. Alternatively, this invention allows a person to comfortably secure his or her drink to his or her leg when no other attaching member exists on his or her chair.
This invention also may be used to attach beverages, such as baby bottles or cups, to baby carriages or strollers. Parents often have their hands full when toting around their infants and toddlers. Having a device to attach baby bottles or other beverages to strollers would free their hands and lessen their load. Additionally, it would make the bottles readily available instead of having to search for them in a hand or tote bag. Also, parents may use the invention to hold their own beverages and not just the baby's beverage.
This invention also relates to a beverage container holder for passengers on airplanes, boats, trains, autos, buses, or other vehicles. Persons traveling on airplanes are often inconvenienced when desiring to drink because they have to pull out eating trays on which to place their drinks. This can be especially inconvenient, awkward, and uncomfortable when they need to go to the lavatory, when they are of such large size that their trays push uncomfortably against their bodies, or when there is turbulence and the drinks are bumping and sliding on their trays. The invention solves that problem by securing their drinks to their passenger-seat arms. The compactability and portability make this invention particularly suitable to travelers. Another advantage of this invention regarding its use on airplanes is that it may reduce the use of plastic cups, thus being ecologically or environmentally responsible.
This invention also relates to a beverage container holder that can be attached to the arms of car doors. Many automobiles do not have beverage holders for back-seat passengers. This invention solves that problem by allowing for attachment of the holder's sides to the handles on car doors.
This invention can also be used to attach to the front of mopeds and motorcycles.
Thus this invention may be used to attach beverage containers to the arms or posts of any variety of chairs besides wheelchairs, e.g. airplane seats, tour bus seats, auto seats, boat seats, train seats, theatre sea
Hsia Martin E.
Ramirez Ramon O.
Szumny Jon
LandOfFree
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