Table with improved wheelchair accessibility
AssigneePatapsco Woodworks, Inc.
InventorsJane M. Rohde, Charles M. Beavan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A table with improved wheelchair accessibility includes a bridge member securable in a selected alignment with the tabletop to extend a supporting surface of the table between the armrest sections of a wheelchair. The bridge member includes a supporting surface that is substantially coplanar with the supporting surface of the tabletop when the bridge member is secured in the selected alignment with the tabletop.
Claims22
A table for providing access for a wheelchair including a pair of armrest sections extending from a seat of the wheelchair, the table comprising:
- a tabletop including a supporting surface, suspended a selected distance from a surface upon which the wheelchair is supported;
- a bridge member releasably securable in an aligned position with the tabletop where the bridge member abuts a peripheral edge of the tabletop and a supporting surface of the bridge member is substantially coplanar with the supporting surface of the tabletop;
- and
- a drawer configured to support the bridge member in the aligned position with the tabletop when the bridge member is placed on the drawer;
- wherein, in the aligned position with the tabletop, the bridge member is configured to extend within a space defined between the armrest sections of the wheelchair.
A table for providing wheelchair access, the table comprising:
- a tabletop including a supporting surface;
- a drawer movable in relation to the tabletop between a position where the drawer is substantially disposed below the tabletop to positions where portions of the drawer extend from a peripheral edge of the tabletop;
- and
- a bridge member supportable by the drawer in a selected alignment with the tabletop when the bridge member is placed on the drawer, the bridge member including a supporting surface that is substantially coplanar with the supporting surface of the tabletop when the bridge member is supported in the selected alignment by the drawer.
A method of providing wheelchair access to a table, wherein the table includes a bridge member and a drawer movable between a position below a tabletop of the table to positions extending from a peripheral edge of the tabletop, the method comprising:
- (a) aligning a bridge member in a selected position to extend from a the tabletop between armrest sections of the wheelchair such that a supporting surface of the bridge member is substantially coplanar with a supporting surface of the tabletop, wherein the aligning of the bridge member includes:
- (a.1) moving the drawer to a selected position from the peripheral edge of the tabletop:
- and
- (a.2) placing the bridge member on the drawer, after the drawer is moved to the selected position, such that the bridge member abuts the peripheral edge of the tabletop.
A method of retrofitting a table including a tabletop to render the table wheelchair accessible, the method comprising:
- (a) installing a drawer that is movable between a position below the tabletop to positions extending from a peripheral edge of the tabletop;
- and
- (b) providing a bridge member that is supportable by the drawer when the bridge member is placed on the drawer and when the drawer is in a selected position extended from the peripheral edge of the tabletop such that a supporting surface of the bridge member is substantially coplanar with a supporting surface of the tabletop.
A table for providing access for a wheelchair, the table comprising:
- a supporting surface to support items to be placed upon the table, the supporting surface including a tabletop with a peripheral edge;
- a means for extending the supporting surface from the peripheral edge of the tabletop to a space located between armrest sections of a wheelchair;
- and
- a means for supporting the means for extending, the means for supporting being movable between a position below the supporting surface to positions extending from the peripheral edge of the tabletop;
- wherein the means for extending is placed on the means for supporting to achieve a substantially coplanar extension of the surface from the peripheral edge of the tabletop to the space located between armrest sections of the wheelchair.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.