Crutch and cane holder system

#This invention relates to providing a system for improved storage of canes and crutches, particularly in conjunction with motorized wheelchair-scooters.

#Typically, a disabled person who requires the assistance of crutches or a cane has a need to store these items when they are utilizing a motorized wheelchair-scooter, such as may be found in many retail stores and grocery stores. The motorized wheelchair-scooters allow for the disabled person to be seated and have mobility while shopping. At the present time, it is customary that canes or crutches are left at a service desk or carried along on the motorized wheelchair-scooter with great difficulty. In some cases, a bag may be attached to the back of the chair portion to accommodate holding the crutches or cane; however, use of such bags requires lifting the crutches or cane to a height of several feet, which may be difficult or impossible for the disabled person to accomplish.

#A primary object and feature of the present invention is to provide a system for holding crutches and canes on a motorized wheelchair-scooter. It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide such a system which is easy to use and which requires only minimal lifting of the crutches or cane off of the ground for storage in the holder. Yet another object and feature of the present invention is to provide such a system which provides for an adjustable crutch holder accommodating storage of crutches regardless of the angle of attachment of the holder to the motorized wheelchair-scooter or the slope of the wheelchair seat-back; this adjustability provides an advantage in that the crutches will not hit the user in the head while seated or while using a motorized wheelchair-scooter with a swiveling seat.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motorized wheelchair-scooter with the crutch and cane holder system attached, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the crutch and cane holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the crutch and cane holder according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a motorized wheelchair-scooter 20 with the crutch and cane holder 22 attached, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In a preferred embodiment, the crutch and cane holder 22 is preferably utilized by being attached to a motorized wheelchair-scooter 20. Such motorized wheelchair-scooters 20 are typically provided in grocery stores and other retail establishments for use by disabled persons. Typically, motorized wheelchair-scooters 20 do not provide for storage of crutches 24 or canes 36 (each embodying herein a walking assistor having one lower leg). Storage of these items is customarily accomplished by leaving them at a service desk or other storage area. As illustrated in FIG. 1, in the present preferred embodiment, the crutches 24 are stored away in two round cylindrical receivers (each having an upper aperture, as shown), a left cylindrical receiver 28, and a right cylindrical receiver 26 (embodying herein a first cylindrical receiver and a second cylindrical receiver). The receivers 26 and 28 are adjustable in angle such that when the crutches 24 are stored in the receivers 26 and 28, they will not interfere with the seat-back 30. Some models of motorized wheelchair-scooters 20 have adjustable and swivel-type seats, which would hit the crutches 24 if the receivers 26 and 28 were always in a fixed vertical position. Preferably, the crutch and cane holder 22 is attached to a rearmost substantially-vertical surface 32 of the motorized wheelchair-scooter 20, slightly above the rear deck 31, and below the seat 19, as shown (this arrangement embodying herein wherein such holder system is structured and arranged so that such upper aperture, as shown, when attached to the motorized wheelchair-scooter, has a height lower than a seat of the motorized wheelchair-scooter). Preferably, the rear deck 31 is used in conjunction with the crutch and cane holder 22 to prevent the crutches 24 or cane 36 from falling through the crutch and cane holder 22. Preferably, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the receivers 26 and 28 have an opening 23 large enough to accept the crutch 24 leg diameter at the top 21 (this arrangement embodying herein at least two holders, having at least two upper apertures, each such upper aperture being structured and arranged to receive at least one such lower portion of at least one such walking assistor) and an opening 25 (embodying herein at least two respective lower apertures) at the bottom 27, also large enough to accept the crutch 24 leg diameter. As will be further described below, if no rear deck 31 is present, another embodiment utilizing an integral bottom blocking element 29 and 33 (shown only in FIG. 5 and embodying herein at least two respective bottoms structured and arranged to block, respectively, such at least two lower apertures such that the walking assistors cannot fall through such lower apertures when held by such upper apertures) on the crutch and cane holder 22 may be utilized. Further, there are a variety of such wheelchair-scooters 20 available, and the rearmost vertical surface 32 (embodying herein a rear substantially-vertical surface portion of a motorized wheelchair-scooter) may be located in different positions relative to the seat-back 30 and slightly off vertical. Those skilled in the art may readily engineer, under appropriate circumstances, other attachments for the instant device, even where such rear surfaces are rounded or with other shapes, provided, preferably, that such rear surface has at least one substantially vertical surface portion for involvement in such attachment. In addition, as mentioned above, some wheelchair-scooters 20 have seats 19 (embodying herein a motorized wheelchair-scooter having a seat) that swivel to allow for easier loading and unloading by the disabled passenger. For the above reasons, it is preferable to utilize an adjustable feature, comprising as shown a bottom slot and nut to set a bottom swivel distance and an upper nut about which a receiver may swivel (see FIGS. 3 and 6 and corresponding descriptions, for example), for the receivers 26 and 28 (embodying herein an adjuster structured and arranged to adjust an angle of such holder when attached to the rear substantially-vertical surface portion of the motorized wheelchair-scooter). Preferably, the receivers 26 and 28 need only be adjusted from about 0 degrees off the vertical surface 32 to about 40 degrees outward from the vertical surface 32 (shown in FIG. 6 and embodying herein wherein such adjustment is set at about 40 degrees). More angle than about 45 degrees may cause the crutches 24 to fall out of the receivers 26 and 28, or provide a hazard by protruding too far a distance out from the wheelchair-scooter 20. Further, receivers 26 and 28 are made utilizing only a minimal height required to hold the crutches 24. Preferably, the distance to lift the crutches 24 for storing them is minimal, preferably less than one and one-half feet from the ground and no more than about six and one-half inches from the height of the rear deck 31 (this arrangement embodying herein that such upper aperture, when attached to the motorized wheelchair-scooter, has a height less than about one and one-half feet above the ground).

#In addition to holding crutches 24, the crutch and cane holder 22 also provides a middle portion 34 (embodying herein a cane-holder portion structured and arranged to attach to such first and second cylindrical receivers and comprising a cane-holder), which is in the approximate shape of a holster in appearance. Preferably, middle portion 34 is slightly sloped both in height and in width, as shown. The preferable slope is about 20 degrees from back 33 to front 35 (embodying herein wherein such holder further comprises at least one cane receiver structured and arranged to hold at least one cane at a fixed angle of about a 20-degree angle upward and outward from vertical), thus typically holding a cane 36 with little or no adjustment necessary. Preferably, the distance to lift the cane 36 for storing is minimal, preferably less than one and one-half feet from the ground and no more than about six and one-half inches from the height of the rear deck 31.

#The following discussion is with reference to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the crutch and cane holder 22, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 further illustrates the assembled crutch and cane holder 22. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the crutch and cane holder 22 and illustrates the individual parts, which will be explained in greater detail below. FIG. 4 is a front view, partially in section, of the crutch and cane holder 22. Preferably, the crutch and cane holder 22 is comprised of five basic parts and connecting hardware. The five basic parts are a left end 38, a right end 40, a middle portion 34, and two receivers 26 and 28. The connecting hardware is preferably comprised of flat head threaded machine bolts (e.g. bolt 60), which will allow the bolt portion to pass through an aperture, but not the head of the bolt, and size-matched lock washers 148 and nuts 150, which will threadably attach to the bolts. Those knowledgeable in the art will understand and appreciate that, in appropriate circumstances, other types of suitable connectors may be selected without detracting from the present invention.