Wheelchair accessory

• US 8,134,463 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2009
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 12U LLC
• Original Assignee: Laurthera Black
• Inventors: Black, Laurthera
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): McNally, Kerri
• Application Number:
  US12/539,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20100141438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 5/10 Parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: F21L 4/00 Electric lighting devices with self-contained electric batteries or cells
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/088 Clips; Clamps
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 21/22 telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0064 Health, life-saving or fire-fighting equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources

Abstract

My invention is an improvement upon the previously existing wheelchair warning lamp apparatus that fails to allow the wheelchair to fold and be used indoors when installed onto the wheelchair and require drilling to be installed. My apparatus, a clamp-on extendible and retractable cylinder shaped erected pole has a safety light and an audible alert equipment installed on top of the inner casing and a pole lock nut installed on the outer casing whereas the outer pole casing is attached to the battery housing support member with three C-Clamps vertically and horizontally attached on the battery housing allowing the pole and battery safety light assembly with audible alert apparatus to be clamped onto one side only of the wheelchair without drilling required and allows the chair to fold and be used indoors without removal of the installed pole and battery with safety light with audible alert apparatus from the wheelchair.

Claims

1. A wheelchair warning lamp apparatus, comprising:

a clamp-on assembly for a wheelchair, comprising;

an extendible and retractable cylinder shaped erected pole;

a battery assembly with rechargeable battery; and

a rechargeable battery operated overhead rotating safety light and audible alert assembly apparatus, wherein the overhead rotating safety light and audible alert assembly apparatus is installed on the top end of an extendible and retractable cylinder shaped inner pole casing.

2. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the extendible and retractable cylinder shaped erected pole is portable and comprises the inner pole casing and an outer pole casing.

3. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a battery housing with two clamps provided on the posterior side of a battery housing support member so that the battery housing is capable of being clamped around the lower end of an outer pole casing of the extendible and retractable cylinder shaped erected pole thereby connecting the battery housing and pole together to form the clamp-on assembly for the wheelchair.

4. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a battery housing support member with two vertically attached C-Clamps on the upper lateral side of a battery housing and one horizontally attached C-Clamp connected on the lower lateral end of the battery housing that clamp the pole and the battery housing onto a vertical and horizontal lower frame support of the wheelchair without drilling required.

5. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the extendible and retractable cylinder shaped erected pole is connected to a battery housing support member, and further comprising a battery housing with two plug-in outlets installed on the top of the battery housing, comprising a control switch plug-in outlet and a rechargeable battery plug-in outlet.

6. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the inner pole casing is enclosed within an outer pole casing that is connected to a battery housing support member.

7. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a twist lock nut device installed on the top end of an outer pole casing allowing the rotating safety light with audible alert assembly apparatus installed on the top of the inner pole casing to be extended over the wheelchair, locked into place, and lowered back down to a user'"'"'s head level near a hand guide rail.

8. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery comprises a 12 volt battery as a power supply source enclosed within a battery housing support member, thus connecting electrical power from the rechargeable battery and a control switch to the rotating safety light with audible alert assembly apparatus installed on the top of the inner pole casing in order to sound a beeping audible alert and illuminate a rotating safety light of the rotating safety light with audible alert assembly apparatus.

9. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a housing for a control switch that operates the rechargeable battery operated overhead rotating safety light with audible alert apparatus assembly for the wheelchair and the housing for the control switch is mounted onto a wheelchair arm rail lower frame support and is secured with plastic tie fasteners.

10. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a control switch cord connecting from a control switch housing is fastened along a wheelchair lower arm rail using plastic tie fasteners to secure the control switch cord along an arm rail frame support.

11. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a plug-in cord adapter connected at the end of a control switch cord is positioned along a wheelchair vertical lower rear frame support and is plugged into a control switch plug-in outlet located on the top of a battery housing, wherein the battery housing is clamped onto the wheelchair vertical lower rear frame support and a horizontal rear frame support.

12. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the extendible and retractable cylinder shaped erected pole has an outer casing connected to a battery housing support member and further wherein the rechargeable battery operated overhead rotating safety light and audible alert assembly apparatus is portable.

13. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the clamp-on assembly is installed onto the back of the wheelchair with a maneuver of rotating the clamp-on assembly back at a 45 degree angle, aligning a C-Clamp on the side of a battery housing around a vertical support of the wheelchair frame, then rotating the clamp-on assembly back to its upright position and sliding it down the vertical support until a C-Clamp on the bottom of the battery housing fastens onto a horizontal support of the wheelchair.

14. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the clamp-on assembly clamps onto one side only of the wheelchair to allow the wheelchair to be folded and used indoors without the removal of the wheelchair warning lamp apparatus from the wheelchair.

15. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery further comprises a 12 volt battery enclosed within a battery housing support member, and wherein lead wires connect the rechargeable battery with connecting wires throughout the inner pole casing and an outer pole casing, thus connecting to a control switch housing and the rechargeable battery operated overhead rotating safety light and audible alert assembly apparatus.

16. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a hook and loop strap attached on the bottom end of an upright tubular outer casing that is clamped around a wheelchair lower frame support.

17. The wheelchair warning lamp apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the clamp-on assembly is installed on one side only of the wheelchair to alert vehicle motorist of approaching wheelchair users traveling on dimly lit areas of traffic;

and furthermore that the clamp-on assembly is able to be installed without drilling required and can be used indoors and out of doors without removal of the rechargeable battery operated overhead rotating safety light and audible alert assembly apparatus from the wheelchair.