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US 2004/0103934 A1Published application
Umbrella and mount assembly for wheelchair
OwnerThomas Szumlic, Jan Gallagherinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An umbrella, shaft, and mounting assembly for an umbrella suitable for use with a wheelchair. The assembly is designed to permit a wheelchair bound person to install, deploy, and retract the umbrella. It is also adapted to permit unobstructed viewing to the front, hands free operation, and a working area to be left to the patron when the umbrella is deployed. It is also designed to permit navigation through portals adapted for wheelchair access. It may also be adapted to facilitate stability in wind and rain.
Claims20
An umbrella and mounting apparatus for use with a wheelchair, said umbrella further comprising:
- umbrella shaft means, said umbrella shaft being adapted with umbrella support means to support an elliptical umbrella cover and being further adapted with umbrella shaft mounting means to be received by an angled and protruding wheelchair accessory mount shaft;
- said umbrella support means further comprising an upper rib support ring and a lower rib support ring;
- said upper rib support ring being fixed to the top of the umbrella shaft and further comprising pivotal connections with a series of primary umbrella support ribs, each said primary umbrella support ribs being further adapted to pivot from said upper support ring from a position which is, when retracted, parallel and proximate to said umbrella shaft and, when opened, extending radially out from said upper support ring;
- said lower support ring being adapted to slide along said umbrella shaft from an upper point to a lower point, said lower ring further being adapted with pivotal connections with a series of rib brace members so that each said rib brace member may pivot from a retracted position in which each said rib brace member is proximate and parallel to said umbrella shaft at its lower point to an opened position in which each said rib brace member may, when pivotally joined to a corresponding primary umbrella support rib at a point near an outward end of said primary support rib, will support said primary support rib in a position in which said primary support rib extends radically out from said upper ring;
- a series of secondary umbrella support ribs, each said secondary umbrella support rib being pivotally joined to a corresponding primary support rib, each said secondary support rib being further adapted to pivot from a closed position in which said secondary umbrella support rib is parallel and proximate to said umbrella shaft to an opened position in which said secondary umbrella support rib extends out from its corresponding primary umbrella support rib, each said secondary umbrella support rib being of length to permit an umbrella cover to be supported over a wheelchair which is to one side of said umbrella shaft;
- said umbrella cover being made of a flexible material which is resistant to water and is adapted to be, along its outer edge securely fastened to the outward end of each said secondary umbrella support rib and to the umbrella shaft so that said umbrella cover, when spread out will cover the area above a wheelchair and, when closed, will fold into a position which is parallel and proximate to said umbrella shaft;
- said umbrella shaft being further adapted with umbrella shaft mounting means, said umbrella shaft mounting means being further adapted to, at a shaft end, securely receive the lower end of said umbrella shaft and, at a mounting end, securely receive a mounting stub from a wheelchair accessory mount.
4 more elements
Umbrella apparatus for providing umbrella coverage over a wheelchair patron seated in a wheelchair, the apparatus comprising;
- umbrella means, said umbrella means further comprising an umbrella cover adapted to cover the seated area of a wheelchair, and to be opened and closed about a shaft to a side of said wheelchair;
- and
- umbrella mounting means, said umbrella mounting means further comprising a mounting member adapted to be rigidly secured upon a wheelchair accessory means which is fixed upon said wheelchair.
An umbrella and mounting apparatus for use with a wheelchair, said umbrella further comprising:
- umbrella shaft means, said umbrella shaft being adapted with umbrella support means to support an elliptical umbrella cover and being further adapted with umbrella shaft mounting means to be received by an angled and protruding wheelchair accessory mount shaft;
- said umbrella support means further comprising an upper rib support ring and a lower rib support ring;
- said upper rib support ring being fixed to the top of the umbrella shaft and further comprising pivotal connections with a series of one or more umbrella support ribs, each said umbrella support ribs being further adapted to pivot from said upper support ring from a position which is, when retracted, parallel and proximate to said umbrella shaft and, when opened, extending radially out from said upper support ring;
- said lower support ring being adapted to slide along said umbrella shaft from an upper point to a lower point, said lower ring further being adapted with pivotal connections with a series of rib brace members so that each said rib brace member may pivot from a retracted position in which each said rib brace member is proximate and parallel to said umbrella shaft at its lower point to an opened position in which each said rib brace member may, when pivotally joined to a corresponding primary umbrella support rib at a point near an outward end of said primary support rib, will support said primary support rib in a position in which said umbrella support rib extends radically out from said upper ring;
- one or more secondary umbrella support ribs, each said secondary umbrella support rib being pivotally joined to a corresponding primary support rib, each said secondary support rib being further adapted to pivot from a closed position in which said secondary umbrella support rib is parallel and proximate to said umbrella shaft to an opened position in which said secondary umbrella support rib extends out from its corresponding primary umbrella support rib, each said secondary umbrella support rib being of length to permit an umbrella cover to be supported over a wheelchair which is to one side of said umbrella shaft;
- said umbrella cover being made of a flexible material which is resistant to water and is adapted to be, along its outer edge securely fastened to the outward end of each said secondary umbrella support rib and to the umbrella shaft so that said umbrella cover, when spread out will cover the area above a wheelchair and, when closed, will fold into a position which is parallel and proximate to said umbrella shaft;
- said umbrella shaft being further adapted with umbrella shaft mounting means, said umbrella shaft mounting means being further adapted to, at a shaft end, securely receive the lower end of said umbrella shaft and, at a mounting end, securely receive a mounting stub from a wheelchair accessory mount.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.