U.S. patent application number 12/841167 was filed with the patent office on 2012-01-26 for wheelchair cover.
Invention is credited to Gregory Robert Bessert.
Application Number | 20120019031 12/841167 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45493002 |
Filed Date | 2012-01-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120019031 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Bessert; Gregory Robert |
January 26, 2012 |
Wheelchair Cover
Abstract
A cover for a wheelchair seat located between left and right
handle bars of the wheelchair where the cover has a seat portion
with a front to back dimension which is at least equal to the depth
of the seat of the wheelchair and a side to side width dimension
which is at least equal to the width of the seat of the wheelchair
and twice the distance from the top of the wheelchair handle bars
down to the wheelchair seat. A first set of openings is located at
the left front of the seat portion for receiving the left handle
bar of the wheelchair; and a second set of openings is located at
the right front of the seat portion for receiving the left handle
bar of the wheelchair.
Inventors: |
Bessert; Gregory Robert;
(Houston, TX) |
Family ID: |
45493002 |
Appl. No.: |
12/841167 |
Filed: |
July 21, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
297/219.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61G 5/10 20130101; A61F
2013/15056 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
297/219.1 |
International
Class: |
A47C 31/00 20060101
A47C031/00 |
Claims
1. A cover for a wheelchair seat located between left and right
handle bars of the wheelchair comprising: a seat portion for
covering the seat of the wheelchair having a front to back
dimension which is at least equal to the depth of the seat of the
wheelchair and a side to side width dimension which is at least
equal to the width of the seat of the wheelchair and twice the
distance from the top of the wheelchair handle bars down to the
wheelchair seat; a first set of openings located at the left front
of the seat portion for receiving the left handle bar of the
wheelchair; and a second set of openings located at the right front
of the seat portion for receiving the left handle bar of the
wheelchair.
2. The cover of claim 1 wherein the first and second sets of
openings are randomly located at the right and left front of the
seat portion.
3. The cover of claim 2 wherein the seat portion is made of
biodegradable and recycled material.
4. The cover of claim 3 wherein the seat portion is made of paper
or combination laminates.
5. The cover of claim 3 wherein the seat portion is made of plastic
or combination laminates.
6. The cover of claim 3 wherein the first and second sets of
openings are circular.
7. The cover of claim 3 wherein the first and second sets of
openings are square.
8. The cover of claim 3 wherein the first and second sets of
openings are rectangular.
9. The cover of claim 3 wherein the first and second sets of
openings are circular.
10. The cover of claim 3 wherein the first and second sets of
openings are push out perforated circles.
11. The cover of claim 3 wherein the openings of each set of
openings are randomly located.
12. The cover of claim 3 wherein the locations of the openings in
the first set of openings are mirror images of the locations of the
openings in the second set of openings.
13. The cover of claim 3 wherein wings are located on each side of
the seat portion for folding over the left and right handle bars of
the wheelchair.
14. The cover of claim 3 wherein the seat portion is colored.
15. The cover of claim 3 wherein a seat back portion is attached to
the back of the seat portion to provide a cover for the back of the
wheelchair and a flap portion is attached to the seat back portion
that fits over the top of the wheelchair back to hold the seat back
portion against the back of the wheelchair.
16. The cover of claim 15 wherein the flap portion has a
distinctive color or a sign to indicate the destination of a person
in the wheelchair.
17. The cover of claim 3 wherein the seat portion is coated or
impregnated with an antimicrobial agent.
18. A method of covering a wheelchair seat located between left and
right handle bars of the wheelchair comprises: providing a seat
portion for covering the seat of the wheelchair having a front to
back dimension which is at least equal to the depth of the seat of
the wheelchair and a side to side width dimension which is at least
equal to the width of the seat of the wheelchair and twice the
distance from the top of the wheelchair handle bars down to the
wheelchair seat; providing a first set of openings located at the
left front of the seat portion for receiving the left handle bar of
the wheelchair; and a second set of openings located at the right
front of the seat portion for receiving the left handle bar of the
wheelchair.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first and second sets of
openings are randomly located at the right and left front of the
seat portion.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the seat portion is made of
biodegradable and recycled material.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a biodegradable and
recyclable cover for a wheel chair which can be discarded and
replaced with a new cover each time the wheelchair is used.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Covers for covering wheelchairs are known in the prior art.
More specifically, by way of example, U.S. PreGrant Publication No.
2008/0047071 to Christofferson, et al, discloses a seat cover which
minimizes surface tension in the cover material when the cover
conforms to a highly contoured shape.
[0005] U.S. PreGrant Publication No. 2004/0041449 to Bluhm
discloses a wheelchair slipcover which has a seat pad slipcover
that can contain a cushion. The seat pad slipcover can be made from
decorative material and can be attached to the seat of a
wheelchair. A back pad slipcover can also be made from the same or
different decorative material, and can be attached to the back of
the wheelchair.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 7,278,649 to Daniels discloses a wheelchair
cover having a first and a second covering member. The first
covering member has a back cover portion which covers a back of a
wheelchair, and first and second arm covering portions for covering
first and second arms which extend from the back of the wheelchair.
The second covering member, is removably attached to the first
covering member and has a seat covering portion for covering a seat
of the wheelchair. The wheelchair cover further includes a third
covering member which covers a cushion placed on the seat. First
and second side skirts extend from the first and second arm
covering portions cover the first and second side of the wheelchair
and a back skirt extending from the back covering portion covers a
wheelchair back side. A front skirt covers the wheelchair front
side.
[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 6,866,337 to Lash discloses a protective cover
for a wheelchair which includes a first cover section and a second
cover section. The first and second cover sections form a
contiguous unit having a first surface and a second surface. The
protective cover wraps around either a seat or back of the
wheelchair so that the first and second cover sections reside on
opposite sides of the seat or the back. Fastening elements
detachably couple a fourth edge of the second cover section with a
first edge of a first cover section to form a closed loop around
the seat or the back. The protective cover may optionally include
cushions for occupant comfort.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,051 to Adams discloses a cover for a
wheelchair seat made from a cloth having a first ply of wicking
material for drawing moisture that contacts the first ply away from
an occupant of the wheelchair and a second ply of absorbent
material for drawing moisture out of the first ply and dispersing
the drawn moisture in the second ply. The first and second plies
are permanently secured in laminar relationship to each other by a
hem along their perimeter. The cloth is detachably mounted on the
wheelchair seat, either by an elastic band positioned within the
hem, where the band has a length in its unstretched state which is
less than the length of the hem, or by a plurality of hook-and-loop
fasteners fixed in spaced apart relationship to the cloth and which
extend outwardly from the hem to a plurality of mating
hook-and-loop fasteners fixed to the cloth near the hem. A third
ply of impermeable material for preventing moisture from passing
from the second ply into contact with the wheelchair surface may be
disposed against the opposite side of the second ply as the first
ply with all the plies being secured in laminar relationship with
each other by the hem.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,660 to Raburn, et al. discloses a soft
pressure relieving cushion for wheelchair patients made of a high
density foam, such as 2.4 pounds per cubic foot or above and a 25
percent ILD characteristic of at least about 50 pounds, together
with independently acting cube shaped segments. The segments have
predetermined respective separation and rounded upper edges with a
predetermined radius of curvature which is larger about the
periphery of the wheelchair pad. A relatively lowered pad thickness
of about 3 inches facilitates patient movement onto and off from a
wheelchair cushion. A removable covering of laminated materials is
stretchable so as to slide over the rounded edges of the segments
and down into separations therebetween to maintain independent
action of such segments during use with the covering. An upper
layer of the covering comprises a base layer of woven fabric of
elastic synthetic fibers. A lower layer of the covering comprises a
water resistant coating of urethane generally at least about 1 mil
thick.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,921 to Dinsmoor, III discloses an
adjustable cover and seating system for a wheelchair. The cover has
an enclosing portion surrounding the inner seat members and a skirt
portion extending about the sides of the enclosure portion and
downwardly under the lower section of the enclosure portion. The
enclosure portion of the cover can be placed over the seating
members and secured in place by a zipper to encase the seating
member. The skirt section is then pulled to draw the skirt section
downwardly which, in turn, draws the upper section of the enclosure
portion snugly across the top of the seating members. In doing so,
the peripheral side section of the enclosure portion is also drawn
downwardly on itself into bunches which are held firmly in place
against the seating members by the skirt section. This serves to
prevent excess material from catching in the spokes of the
wheelchair.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,826 to Carstensen, et al. discloses a
cover for a wheelchair having a hood portion. The hood portion has
an upper end and at least two sides extending from the upper end.
The sides define an opening opposite the upper end for a person to
enter. A flap member extends from a first side of the hood portion
which is adapted to be wrapped across a portion of the opening.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,889 to Diestel discloses a removable and
storable weather and sun covering for a wheelchair. Two embodiments
include a soft cover version which can be dismantled and stowed in
a container on the wheelchair and a hard top version which can be
easily removed and stored when not needed. Common to both covers is
a cover support clamp bracket suited for securing a variety of
covers and cover frames to the frame of a wheelchair. The cover
support clamp bracket can be left on the wheelchair even when not
in use or removed when not needed.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,938 to Gross, et al. discloses a slip
cover for a wheelchair. The wheelchair includes a seat back which
has a front and rear surface as well as first and second vertical
posts located between the front and rear surfaces. The wheelchair
slip cover includes an elongated member having an anterior portion
that is received over the front surface of the seat back, and a
posterior portion received over the rear surface of the seat back.
The anterior and posterior portions merge at an intermediate
portion which is received over the upper side of the seat back. A
first connecting member extends from the elongated member and is
wrapped about the first post of the seat back. A second connecting
member also extends from the elongated member, and is wrapped about
the second post of the seat back.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,289 to Taylor, et al. discloses a
protective wheelchair cover into which a wheelchair is easily
introduced, and methods of using same during the transportation or
storage of a wheelchair. The cover provides a complete enclosure
into which a wheelchair can be easily rolled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, there
is disclosed a cover for a wheelchair seat located between left and
right handle bars of the wheelchair comprising:
[0016] a seat portion for covering the seat of the wheelchair
having a front to back dimension which is at least equal to the
depth of the seat of the wheelchair and a side to side width
dimension which is at least equal to the width of the seat of the
wheelchair and twice the distance from the top of the wheelchair
handle bars down to the wheelchair seat;
[0017] a first set of openings located at the left front of the
seat portion for receiving the left handle bar of the wheelchair;
and
[0018] a second set of openings located at the right front of the
seat portion for receiving the left handle bar of the
wheelchair.
[0019] In another embodiment of the present invention, there is
disclosed a method of covering a wheelchair seat located between
left and right handle bars of the wheelchair comprises:
[0020] providing a seat portion for covering the seat of the
wheelchair having a front to back dimension which is at least equal
to the depth of the seat of the wheelchair and a side to side width
dimension which is at least equal to the width of the seat of the
wheelchair and twice the distance from the top of the wheelchair
handle bars down to the wheelchair seat;
[0021] providing a first set of openings located at the left front
of the seat portion for receiving the left handle bar of the
wheelchair; and
[0022] a second set of openings located at the right front of the
seat portion for receiving the left handle bar of the
wheelchair.
[0023] The more important features of the invention have thus been
outlined in order that the more detailed description that follows
may be better understood and in order that the present contribution
to the art may better be appreciated. Additional features of the
invention will be described hereinafter and will form the subject
matter of the claims that follow.
[0024] 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 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.
[0025] 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.
[0026] The foregoing has outlined, rather broadly, the preferred
feature of the present invention so that those skilled in the art
may better understand the detailed description of the invention
that follows. Additional features of the invention will be
described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the
invention. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can
readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a
basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out
the same purposes of the present invention and that such other
structures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention
in its broadest form.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present
invention will become more fully apparent from the following
detailed description, the appended claim, and the accompanying
drawings in which similar elements are given similar reference
numerals.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cover for use on a
wheelchair;
[0029] FIG. 2 is a plan view of another embodiment of a cover for
use on a wheelchair;
[0030] FIG. 3 is a plan view of another embodiment of a cover for
use on a wheelchair; and
[0031] FIG. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of a cover for
use on a wheelchair;
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0032] This invention relates to a slip cover for use with a
wheelchair seat and seat back. At the present time wheelchairs are
provided for short term use of an hour, more of less, by an
individual, or they are rented for use by an individual for a few
weeks or months, or they are purchased outright.
[0033] A wheel chair is provided for short term use to help move a
person from one location to another at, for example, a hospital to
transport a person from his/her hospital room to a waiting car or
taxi at the front door of the hospital. In other instances a
wheelchair will be used to move a patient from his/her room to
another floor in a hospital for a medical procedure such as an
Xray. In still another instance a wheel chair may be used to help
move an incoming patient from a taxi to an emergency room or the
admittance desk of the hospital. In other instances it is common to
use a wheelchair at airport terminals to help transport an elderly
passenger from his/her car or taxi to the boarding gate of a
departing airplane.
[0034] More extensive but temporary use of a wheelchair is where a
person suffers a temporary injury such as a badly sprained or
broken foot or leg. In this instance the person will rent a
wheelchair for a few weeks or months for use only while at home and
will rely on crutches when going out to work, to a restaurant, etc.
In other situations the wheelchair is owned by the individual and
is used either for short periods of time each day or continuously
by the owner.
[0035] Thus, wheelchairs that are used in hospitals, at airport
terminals, in nursing homes and even wheelchairs that are rented
for an extended period of time or owned by a person can present a
sanitary problem by not being thoroughly cleaned and/or sanitized
between use by different users. Where the wheel chair is rented or
owned and used by a single person, it should be cleaned at least
once a week. The present invention discloses a new improved cover
which provides a simple and economical way of maintaining
wheelchairs in a clean and sanitary condition.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a plan view of a cover
10 for use on the seat of a wheelchair. The cover 10 is an
elongated, substantially rectangular member that includes a seat
portion 12 having two sets or more of similar openings at its lower
end. One or more sets of openings 14 is located at the lower left
corner of seat portion 12 and the second set of openings 16 is
located at the lower right corner of seat portion 12. Seat portion
12 can have a width of about 32 inches, more or less and a length
of about 40 inches, more or less and can be made of paper of any
desired grade or of a plastic which can be coated or impregnated
with a antimicrobial agent, and the seat cover can be of any
desired color.
[0037] Referring to the openings in the lower left hand corner of
the seat portion 12, each set of openings 14 has five individual
opening 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 where each opening has a diameter of
between one half of an inch and six inches, more or less. The
openings in set 16 in the lower right hand corner of seat portion
12 has five individual openings 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36 which are a
mirror image of the openings in set 14 and each opening has a
diameter of about two inches, more or less. Openings 18, 20 of set
14 are aligned with openings 28, 30 of set 16 along a straight line
where the center of opening 18 is about two inches in from the left
end of the seat portion. The center of opening 20 is about three
inches from the center of opening 18, the centers of openings 20,
28 are about twenty inches from each other, and the center of
opening 30 is about three inches from the center of opening 28. The
center of each opening 18, 20, 28 and 30 is located about two and
one-half inches from the bottom edge of seat portion 12.
[0038] Opening 22 of set 14 is aligned with opening 32 of set 16
and their centers are about two and three-quarters of an inch above
the centers of openings 18, 20, 28 and 30. The center of opening 22
is located about one inch to five inches in from the left edge of
seat portion 12 and the center of opening 32 is about twenty four
inches from the center of opening 22.
[0039] Openings 24, 26 of set 14 are aligned with openings 36, 34
of set 16 along a straight line where the center of opening 24 is
about one inch in from the left end of the seat portion. The center
of opening 26 is about three inches to the right of the center of
opening 24, where the centers of openings 26, 36 are about twenty
two inches from each other, and the center of opening 34 is about
three inches from the center of opening 36. The center of openings
24, 26, 36 and 34 are located about two and three-quarter inches
above the centers of openings 22, 32. The seat portion 12 can be of
any biodegradable and recycled material where the material can be
cloth, paper, plastic or a combination of these which can be coated
or impregnated with a antimicrobial agent.
[0040] In another embodiment of the invention, in place of each
opening in set 14, 16, seat portion 12 can have a horizontal slit,
a vertical slit, or a horizontal slit bisected with a centrally
located vertical slit.
[0041] In another embodiment of the invention, in place of each
opening in the sets 14, 16, seat portion 12 can have push out
openings or precut openings which are formed by pushing out two
inch diameter perforated paper circles located on the seat portion
12. In this embodiment an opening is obtained by pushing or tearing
along the circle of perforations in the seat portion where an
opening is desired.
[0042] To use, a person stands behind a wheelchair, places the seat
portion 12 on top of the handle bars of the wheelchair and slides
the handle bars through aligned openings of the sets of openings
14, 16. The seat portion has a front to back dimension which is at
least equal to the depth of the seat of the wheelchair and a side
to side width dimension which is at least equal to the width of the
seat of the wheelchair plus twice the distance from the top of the
handle bars down to the wheelchair seat. After the handle bars are
slid through the openings of the sets of openings, the seat portion
is pressed down along the insides of the handle bars and onto the
seat of the wheelchair to provide a U shaped channel for a person
to sit in.
[0043] In another embodiment the openings in each set of openings
14, 16 can be square, triangular, spherical, rectangular or have
some other desired shape.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a plan view of another
embodiment of a cover for use with a wheelchair where the seat
portion has two wings. In the embodiment of FIG. 2 seat portion 40
is similar to the seat portion 12 of FIG. 1 including the two sets
of openings 42 and 44 where set of openings 42 is similar to set of
openings 14 and set of openings 44 is similar to set of openings
16. Extending out along each side of the seat portion 40 is a wing
portion 46 where the seat portion is separated from the wing
portion with dotted line 48. Dotted line 48 indicates where the
seat portion is to be folded when it is placed on a wheel chair. In
this embodiment, after the seat portion is placed on a wheelchair
and pressed down to conform to the wheelchair seat, each wing
portion is folded down along dotted line 48 to cover the outside of
each handle bar.
[0045] In another embodiment of the invention, a tape or a pressure
sensitive adhesive (not shown) which is covered with a protective
release tape is located at each bottom corner of the seat portion.
The pressure sensitive adhesive is provided to form a closed end
cover for the arm rails by sealing the ends of the cover that
extend beyond the ends of the arm rail. Located at each bottom
corner of the seat portion and wing portion 46 is a pressure
sensitive adhesive which can have a width of about one inch and a
length which extends from each set of openings 42, 44 to the side
edges of the wing portions. In use, after the seat portion 40 is
placed on a wheel chair and each wing portion 46 is folded down and
covers the outside of each arm rail, the release tape is removed
from the pressure sensitive adhesive and the ends of the wing
portions at the ends of the arm rails are pinched together to
provide arm rail covers that have closed ends
[0046] Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a plan view of another
embodiment of a cover for use with a wheelchair where the seat
portion has a back fold over portion for the back of the seat and a
drop down leg portion. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 the seat portion
50 is similar to the seat portion 12 of FIG. 1 including the two
sets of openings 52 and 54 where the set of openings 52 is similar
to the set of openings 14 and the set of openings 54 is similar to
the set of openings 16. Extending out along the top of seat portion
50 is a fold over portion 56 for the back of the wheelchair seat.
Dotted fold line 58 indicates where the seat portion is to be
folded to provide the seat back portion 56 when it is placed on a
wheel chair and dotted fold line 60 indicates where a second fold
is made to locate an end 61 of the seat back portion around the top
of the wheelchair back to hold the seat back portion on the back of
the wheelchair seat. A third dotted fold line 62 indicates where
the seat portion is to be folded to provide a drop down leg portion
64. In this embodiment, after the seat panel is placed on a
wheelchair and pressed down to conform to the wheelchair seat, a
fold is made along dotted fold line 58 to provide a cover for the
wheelchair seat back and another fold is made along dotted fold
line 60 to form a flap portion that fits over the top of the
wheelchair back to hold the cover 56 against the back of the
wheelchair. Thereafter a third fold is made along dotted fold line
62 to form a drop down leg portion 64 to prevent the legs of a
person in the wheelchair from touching the frame of the
wheelchair.
[0047] Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a plan view of another
embodiment of a cover for use with a wheelchair where the seat
portion has a fold over cover for the back of the seat and a drop
down destination indicator. In the embodiment of FIG. 4 the seat
portion 70 is similar to the seat portion 12 of FIG. 1 including
the two sets of openings 72 and 74 where the set of openings 72 is
similar to the set of openings 14 and the set of openings 74 is
similar to the set of openings 16. Extending out along the top of
seat portion 70 is a fold over cover portion 76 for the back of the
wheelchair seat. Dotted fold line 78 indicates where the seat
portion is to be folded to provide the seat back portion when it is
placed on a wheel chair and dotted fold line 80 indicates where a
second fold is made to locate an end 82 of the seat back portion
around the top of the wheelchair back and down along the back of
the wheelchair back for use as a destination indicator such as a
sign which shows where the person in the wheelchair is to be taken.
For example, when used in a hospital, the sign on the drop down
indictor can read "X RAY" to insure that the person in the
wheelchair is taken to the correct location. In another example,
when the invention is used at an airport to take a passenger to a
specific airline, the name of the airline such as "AMERICAN" can be
printed on the drop down destination indicator.
[0048] In this embodiment, after the seat panel is placed on a
wheelchair and pressed down to conform to the wheelchair seat, a
fold is made along dotted line 78 to provide a cover for the
wheelchair seat back and another fold is made along dotted line 80
to form the dropdown destination indicator 82 on the back of the
wheelchair.
[0049] While there have been shown and described and pointed out
the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the
preferred embodiments, it will be understood that the foregoing is
considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention
and not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the
precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are
possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed
were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the
principles of the invention and its practical application to enable
one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in
various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to
the particular use contemplated All such modifications and
variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by
the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth
to which they are entitled.
* * * * *