Patent Publication Number: US-7581259-B2

Title: Chair blanket, and method for covering chair occupant

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to blankets. More specifically, the invention pertains to a covering to provide warmth to an occupant in a chair such as a wheelchair. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for covering a wheelchair occupant. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   It is sometimes difficult for an occupant in a chair to stay warm. There are several reasons for this. First, merely placing a blanket over the occupant does not protect the underside and back of the occupant from the elements. Second, in the case of a wheelchair occupant, the occupant may be limited in movement, resulting in a reduced degree of warmth that would otherwise be received from increased blood circulation. Finally, it is sometimes difficult for the wheelchair occupant to keep a blanket comfortably around them during transportation. In this respect, the blanket may fall or the fringes of the blanket may become entwined in the spokes of the wheelchair. 
   Various garment-type items have been proposed for keeping an occupant in a chair such as a wheelchair warm. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,141 teaches a quilt for use with wheelchairs. The quilt has a pouch for the feet that extends partially up the legs. The quilt includes a drawstring for tightening the pouch about the knees. However, the quilt provides only limited coverage for the underside of the wheelchair occupant. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,651,346, 4,932,077, 5,604,932 and 5,970,542, which teach various configurations of lap blankets or “foot pouch” blankets, suffer from the same limitations, though some are not necessarily limited to wheelchair applications. 
   U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,716,239 and 6,643,870 disclose unitary body garments intended to be wrapped about a patient&#39;s body. These arrangements may prevent adequate use of a wheelchair occupant&#39;s arms. 
   Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,065 discloses a blanket for wrapping about one&#39;s legs while seated in a chair. The blanket is four-sided, but may be wrapped into a tube for receiving an individual. Folds are made in the blanket in order to align edges of the blanket with Velro™ strips. Making these folds may be difficult for a wheelchair occupant, although the patent does not actually show or mention a wheelchair. 
   Despite the benefits offered by the above inventions, there remains a need for a blanket that provides additional warmth to a chair occupant. Further, a need remains for a method of covering an occupant in a chair such as a wheelchair. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A blanket for a chair occupant is provided. The blanket has an upper end, a lower end, opposing sides, an outer surface to be placed onto the seat and back of the chair, an inner surface on which the occupant sits, and a connector for connecting the opposing sides over the occupant when the occupant is seated onto the inner surface of the blanket. The connector may be a zipper or a hook-and-loop attachment or other means. Preferably, the upper and lower ends of the blanket have drawstrings. In one aspect, a hook and loop attachment is provided for selectively connecting an end of the lower draw string to the blanket. 
   In one aspect, the blanket includes an attachment mechanism for releasably attaching the blanket to the chair. The attachment mechanism may be part of a flap along the upper end of the blanket, or perhaps a pair of loops. The attachment mechanism serves to maintain the blanket in position while the occupant is being seated onto the blanket and the wheelchair. In another arrangement, the blanket includes a foot pouch for receiving the feet of the chair occupant. The foot pouch has left and right compartments, and may include at least one rigid member configured to rest on a foot rest of a wheelchair. The foot pouch may be detachable. 
   A method for covering an occupant in a chair is also provided. The chair has a seat and a back. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing a blanket as described above, placing the blanket over the seat of the chair, seating the occupant onto the blanket in the chair, folding the opposing sides of the blanket over the occupant, and connecting the opposing sides using the connector. 
   The method may include securing a flap on the upper end of the blanket to the back of the chair. In this way the position of the blanket is secured relative to the wheelchair while the occupant is being seated onto the blanket and the wheelchair. The method may alternately include the step of zipping up the foot pouch between the left and right compartments to provide additional warmth to the occupant&#39;s feet. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     So that the manner in which the above recited features of the present invention can be better understood, certain drawings are appended hereto. It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only selected embodiments of the inventions and are therefore not to be considered limiting of scope, for the inventions may admit to other equally effective embodiments and applications. 
       FIG. 1  presents a perspective view of a blanket of the present invention, in one embodiment. The inner surface of the blanket is primarily seen. 
       FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of an exemplary wheelchair for receiving the blanket of  FIG. 1 . The upper, rear portion of the wheelchair is shown. 
       FIG. 3  shows the blanket of  FIG. 1  laid onto the seat of a wheelchair. The flap of the upper end of the blanket is being attached to a back of the wheelchair. 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the blanket of the present invention, in an alternate embodiment. Here, the connector for connecting the opposing sides of the blanket comprises a hook-and-loop attachment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Definitions 
   As used herein, the term “occupant” refers to any person of any age or size. 
   The term “chair” refers to any chair having a seat and a back, including for example a wheelchair. The term “wheelchair” refers to any configuration of ambulatory chair. 
   Description of Specific Embodiments 
     FIG. 1  presents a perspective view of a blanket  100  of the present invention, in one embodiment. The blanket  100  preferably has four sides, including an upper end  110 , a lower end  120 , and opposing sides  112 ,  114 . It is also preferred that the upper end  110  have a width that is greater than the width of the lower end  120 . Together the upper  110  and lower  120  ends may illustratively form an inverted frusto-conical profile, a volcanic profile, or other form. 
   The blanket  100  further includes an inner surface  105  and an outer surface  120 . Preferably, the inner surface  105  is fabricated from a soft but fire resistant material such as Protek™ manufactured by Pellon. Preferably, the outer surface  120  is a separate item of material that is fabricated from a water-repellant material. In this way, the two surfaces  105 ,  120  define separate items of fabric that are “quilted” together. However, it is within the scope of the present invention for the two surfaces to be opposite surfaces of the same item of material or fabric. 
   The blanket  100  is designed with a chair occupant in mind. In this respect, the outer surface  120  of the blanket  100  would engage the seat of a chair, while the inner surface  105  would envelope the occupant while the occupant is seated. To facilitate this use of the blanket  100 , a connector  115  is provided along the opposing sides  112 ,  114 . In one aspect, the connector  115  is a zipper. The zipper  115  is used for connecting the opposing sides  112 ,  114  of the blanket  100  over the occupant after the occupant has been seated into the chair and onto the blanket  100 . 
   Alternative means for the connector  115  may be employed.  FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the blanket  100  of the present invention, in an alternate embodiment. Here, the connector for connecting the opposing sides  112 ,  114  of the blanket  100  comprises at least one hook-and-loop attachment  115 ′, such as Velcro™. 
   Additional, optional features of the blanket  100  are also presented in  FIG. 1 . First, a foot pouch  130  may be fabricated into the lower end  120  of the blanket  100 . The foot pouch  130  defines a central opening  135  configured to receive the feet (not shown) of the occupant. Preferably, the foot pouch  130  includes a left compartment  136 , a right compartment  137 , and a rigid member  132  in the bottom to help define and access the compartments  136 ,  137 . In  FIG. 1 , the rigid member  132  is shown integral to the pouch  130 . Further, the rigid member  132  is shown configured as separate left and right members that correspond to left and right foot rests (seen at  230  in  FIG. 2 ) in a wheelchair. However, the rigid member  132  may be a single item of material. An example of a suitable rigid material is a product called Stitch in Shape™. The material Stitch in Shape™ may be washed or wetted and then shaped as it dries. The material will retain its shape in a substantially rigid fashion so that it may conform to a desired profile. In this embodiment, the material forming the rigid member  132  would also be sewn into the foot pouch  130 , and then shaped to conform to the angle of the foot rests  230  of a wheelchair. 
   It is understood that the rigid member  132  may alternatively be an item of plastic or other durable and light weight material that is separate and removable from the foot pouch  130 . In either embodiment, the rigid member  132  will typically have a footprint that is larger than the foot rests  230  of a wheelchair so as to accommodate the feet of the occupant if seated in a wheelchair. 
   The blanket  100  preferably also includes a zipper for connecting the left  136  and right  137  compartments in the foot pouch  130 . An exemplary zipper is shown at  138  in  FIG. 1 . As can be seen, the zipper  138  helps to at least partially enclose the foot pouch  130  so as to keep the occupant&#39;s feet warmer. In one aspect (not shown), the zipper connects to the inner surface  105  of the blanket within the foot pouch  130 . Preferably, however, the zipper  138  simply closes the opening  135 . With the ends already enclosed by fabric, the foot pouch  130  can keep a user&#39;s feet warm in cold weather. 
   In one optional aspect, the foot pouch  130  is detachable. A detachment means in the form of a zipper, a hook-and-loop attachment, snaps, or other means may be employed. In the arrangement of  FIG. 1 , a zipper  123  is demonstrated. The zipper  123  is “zipped up” to attach the foot pouch  130  to the lower end  120  of the blanket  100 . Unzipping” the zipper  123  allows the foot pouch  130  to be detached when the weather is not sufficiently cold to warrant use of the foot pouch  130 . 
   Also shown in  FIG. 1  are optional attachment devices  140 ,  126 . The attachment devices  140 ,  126  serve to provide a releasable attachment between the upper end  110  of the blanket  100  and the chair  200 .  140 . The blanket  100  preferably would include both attachment devices  140 ,  126  but may optionally include one or the other. 
   Referring to the first attachment device  140 , this device comprises a flap. The flap  140  defines an elongated piece of material that extends out from the upper end  110  of the blanket  100 . Preferably, the flap  140  is fabricated from leather or synthetic leather. In one aspect, the flap  140  is sewn into the inner surface  105  of the blanket  100 . The flap  140  includes an attachment member  142 , such as Velcro™. The attachment member  142  connects to an attachment member  144  on a chair (seen at  200  in  FIG. 2 ). 
   The second attachment device  126  defines a pair of loops  126 . The loops  126  are quilted into the upper end  110  of the blanket, and are spaced apart to conform to the geometry of handle bars  222  of a wheelchair (seen at  200  in  FIG. 2 ). In use, the handle bars  222  of the wheelchair  200  are received into the loops  126  to secure the position of the blanket  100  relative to the wheelchair  200 . Preferably, each loop  126  is also fabricated from leather or synthetic leather. 
   In one embodiment, the blanket  100  includes upper  122  and lower  124  draw strings. The draw strings  122 ,  124  allow the occupant (or his or her caretaker) to pull the upper  110  or lower  120  ends of the blanket  100  around the occupant for warmth. 
     FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of an illustrative chair  200  for receiving the blanket  100  of  FIG. 1 . The illustrative chair  200  is a wheelchair. However, it is understood that any chair may be used by an occupant. The upper, rear portion of the wheelchair  200  is shown. Specifically, the back of the back rest  210  is demonstrated. An attachment member  144  is placed on the back of the back rest  210 . The attachment member  144  is used to receive the attachment member  142  of the flap  140 . It is understood that the attachment member  144  may be placed on the front side of the back rest  210 . 
     FIG. 3  shows the blanket of  FIG. 1  laid onto the seat of a wheelchair. The flap  140  of the upper end of the blanket is in position to be attached to the back of the wheelchair  200 . In addition, the sides  112 ,  114  have been folded over so as to more fully show the back surface  150  of the blanket  100 . The side zipper  115  has been connected or “zipped up.” It is understood that, in practice, an individual will sit on the inner surface  105  of the blanket  100  before the sides  112 ,  114  are connected. 
   Optionally, a hook and loop attachment (not shown) may be provided on the outer surface  150  of the blanket  100 . The hook and loop attachment provides a means by which the ends of the lower drawstring  122  may be secured in a more accessible place after the drawstring  122  has been tied. 
   A method for covering an occupant in a chair is also provided herein. In one embodiment, the method employs the blanket  100  of  FIG. 1 . In this respect, a blanket is provided wherein the blanket has an upper end  110 , a lower end  120  and opposing sides  112 ,  114 . The blanket  100  also includes the connector  115  for connecting the opposing sides  112 ,  114  over the occupant when the occupant is seated onto the blanket  100 . The blanket  100  may also include the foot pouch  130 . 
   The blanket  100  is placed such that the outer surface  150  is laid over the seat  220  of a chair  200 . Where a flap  140  is employed, the attachment member  142  of the flap  140  is connected to the attachment member  144  of the wheelchair  200 . This allows the blanket  100  to be maintained in a spread condition as the occupant is seated into the wheelchair  200 . 
   Next, the occupant sits in the seat portion  220  of the wheelchair  200 . More specifically, the occupant engages the inner surface  105  of the blanket  100  on the seat  220 . The occupant (or his or her caretaker or assistant) will then fold the opposing sides  112 ,  114  of the blanket  100  over the occupant for warmth. The connector  115  is then applied to secure the opposing sides  112 ,  114  together. Where the connector  115  is a zipper, the connector is “zipped up.” 
   Additional steps may optionally be employed. Where the blanket  100  includes the foot pouch  130 , the occupant&#39;s feet are placed within the pouch  130 . Where the blanket  100  includes a draw string, such as upper draw string  122  or lower draw string  124 , the draw string is tied to provide further warmth for the occupant. Where a hook and loop attachment is provided on the outer surface of the blanket  100 , the lower draw string  124  is secured to the outer surface of the blanket  100 . 
   In one aspect, the method may include the step of providing a foot pouch at a lower end of the blanket such that the foot pouch has a lower foot rest portion  132 . The foot rest portion  132  is fabricated from a material that may be manipulated into a fixed shape when it is damp. The foot pouch  130 , or at least the foot rest portion  132 , is washed. Thereafter, the lower foot rest portion  132  is formed into a substantially planar shape. The foot rest portion is then placed onto the foot pads  230  of the wheelchair  200 . Where the zipper  138  is provided for the foot pouch  130 , the zipper  138  would be zipped up.