Patent Publication Number: US-2015061258-A1

Title: Wheelchair lighting system

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This non-provisional patent application claims priority to the provisional patent application having Ser. No. 61/959,601, filed on Aug. 28, 2013. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to lighting facilities, and more specifically pertains to the adaptation of a wheelchair, and particularly the armrest of a wheelchair, for accommodating a lighting system to facilitate illumination forwardly and/or rearwardly of the wheelchair during its usage, particularly in darkened areas. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Obviously, wheelchairs, being fully equipped with armrests and other integrated accessories, have long been available in the art. Some of them may include and use lighting systems in their integrated structure in order to aid the users thereof in their operation of the wheelchair. However, many wheelchairs do not include lighting systems or the electrical power sources that are required for the operation of a wheelchair lighting system. 
     There have also been available in the art lighting systems that can be added to wheelchairs. Typically, these types of add-on systems include lights that are intended to be permanently secured to the wheelchair and which cannot be readily removed by a user during use of the wheelchair and which cannot be readily and conveniently re-oriented to point in a different direction, as may be done with the current invention. Typically, such add-on systems also include, or require the addition of, some kind of electrical power source to the wheelchair for providing power for the lighting system. 
     In general, such lighting systems, whether integrated with the chair or add on systems, are relatively large and cumbersome. Many wheelchairs with such systems are not intended to be readily portable or foldable, and/or the size and location of the components of such lighting systems on the wheelchairs make folding and portability impractical. Because of such limitations, users of such types of wheelchairs may also still require portable and foldable wheelchairs under various circumstances. 
     Users of wheelchairs without lighting systems, especially wheelchairs that are intended to be portable and foldable, often may have to use their wheelchairs in darkened areas. Because of the lack of available light, navigation is more difficult than is desirable. 
     Because of such difficulty, some users try to use a flashlight held in one of their hands or resting in their laps to direct light forwardly as they try to operate the wheelchair. Both actions present a user with difficulties in that he/she must either try to operate the wheelchair while holding the flashlight in one hand or while hoping the flashlight will remain in place on his/her lap while operating the wheelchair. 
     Various types of flashlights have been readily available in the art, including some that incorporate magnets therewith. Flashlights with associated magnets are useful for accommodating the storage of such flashlights while magnetically coupled with the metallic surface of some device, such as the door or side of a refrigerator when the flashlight is in use. A variety of flashlights with associated magnets, often of somewhat larger sizes to accommodate C size batteries, have been available in the art. 
     In general, there has been no readily available and convenient way to easily and effectively accommodate the temporary attachment and removal of a lighting source, such as a flashlight, especially a smaller sized flashlight, such as a pen light, to a wheelchair for use as a source of temporary lighting, including because most wheelchairs are designed to make maximal use of lighter weight materials, including aluminum instead of other ferrous metals. Consequently, most wheelchairs do not provide appropriate surfaces to which a flashlight, even a flashlight with an associated magnet can be conveniently attached to the wheelchair to act as a wheelchair light. Moreover, attempts at other types of attachment, such as by trying to tape or clamp flashlights to portions of the wheelchair, have typically proved unreliable and unsatisfactory, and the flashlights so taped or clamped have generally been unstable and generally ineffective in providing the desired lighting, have often interfered with foldability and/or portability of the chairs, have typically been a source of interference with external doorways and objects, and have been a frustration for users. 
     Consequently, providing light to assist a user of a wheelchair under darkened conditions has remained a problem. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The concept of the current invention is to provide an adaptation to the armrest of a wheelchair, especially a foldable wheelchair, so that a lighting system, such as a flashlight associated with a fastening magnet, can be easily, yet readily removably, attached to the wheelchair so as to furnish ready lighting for an invalid in the wheelchair, particularly when he/she is using the wheelchair to move about, and/or to provide a portable light, such as a flashlight, that may be readily removed and applied by the invalid when he/she desires to use the flashlight for other purposes. 
     Generally, the underside of the armrest needs adaptations to provide for the accommodation of a flashlight. Such adaptations, which may be provided in the form of a kit, may preferably include the application of a double sided tape to the undersurface of the armrest, on either side, of the wheelchair, and application of a metallic strip, of corresponding size to the tape, to provide for a metallized undersurface to the armrest for further usage. Then, a flashlight that has a magnet rigidly fastened to the surface of its cylinder can be readily applied to the metallic strip on the underside of the armrest of the wheelchair, and the flashlight light can generally be directed forwardly to provide ready lighting in front of the wheelchair during usage thereof. Optionally, another flashlight may be applied under the armrest on the other side of the wheelchair, and that light may be directed forwardly, or even rearwardly, to provide peripheral lighting for the user of the wheelchair as the wheelchair is moved through a rather darkened area. When a user requires nighttime usage of the chair, a light can thus be readily attached onto the armrest as a welcomed improvement that aids the user in movement through darkened areas. 
     It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a lighting system that will be able to furnish ambient lighting around a wheelchair during its usage. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide lighting that may be readily directed forwardly, or rearwardly, as required, which lighting can be easily affected through the use of a portable flashlight that can adhere to the armrest of a wheelchair during its application and usage. 
     Still another object of this invention is to provide a kit, such as of tape and a metallic surface securable thereto, that can be applied to an armrest for a wheelchair, and which can accommodate the attachment of a lighting assembly thereto for use when the wheelchair is traversing through darkened areas. 
     Yet another object of this invention is to provide a mounted light on a wheelchair, which light may be readily removed for independent usage. Preferably, the mounted light, before being applied to the wheelchair to function as a form of headlight, will have had the general form of a flashlight, particularly a flashlight of a small or penlight size, so that it may thereafter be easily detachably removed from the wheelchair for convenient independent usage by a user as a flashlight. 
     A further object of this invention is to allow a design for lighting of a wheelchair that provides for ease of usage, and does not interfere with the wheelchair when it is folded for transporting. 
     A further object of this invention is to provide a lighting system for a wheelchair that is safe to install and operate, and does not interfere with the person negotiating the wheelchair. It can also be left in place when not in use. 
     Another object of this invention is to provide a flashlight like device that has its on-off switch readily disposed for operation by the wheelchair occupant. 
     These and other objects may become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the summary of the invention provided herein, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment, in view of the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In referring to the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  provides an exploded front view of a padded armrest for a wheelchair, showing the manner in which the armrest is held and integrated into the wheelchair structure through its support, and disclosing elements of a preferred construction that are used for attaching and holding a magnetic flashlight to the armrest for use as a mounted wheelchair light during application and usage of the wheelchair; 
         FIG. 2  provides a plan view of a metal strip sized and configured to be secured to the underside of the armrest of  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 3  provides a side view of the padded armrest of  FIG. 1 , a double sided tape that may be applied thereunder, and a length of galvanized metal strip of corresponding dimensions that may be applied to the underside of the armrest and held in position by means of the double sided tape, and for use for application of the magnet of a battery operated lighting system thereto during usage. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In referring to the drawings,  FIG. 1  discloses, in an exploded view, the concept of this invention as included in a preferred embodiment. Generally,  FIG. 1  shows an armrest  10  of a wheelchair, which armrest  10  is supported on the wheelchair by means of a support  12  and has a padded arm support  14  applied to the topside of the armrest  10 . A mounting component  16  is shown positioned beneath the armrest  10  for attachment to the underside area generally underneath of the armrest, such as the surface  18 , to facilitate the placement and attachment of a flashlight  20 , with an integrated magnet  22 , to the armrest  10  along the underside of such armrest  10 . 
     Attachment of the mounting component  16  to the underside surface  18  of the armrest  10  is facilitated by application of a double sided tape  30  having tacky surfaces both upon its upper and lower surfaces and adherence of the upper side of such tape  30  to that underside surface  18  of the wheelchair armrest  10 . Such tape  30  is preferably cut to size to provide for its convenient fit to the surface  18  on the underside of the armrest  10 , as can be understood. 
     The mounting component  16  is then secured to the lower side of such double sided tape  30 , as can be noted. Such mounting component  16 , such as a relatively thin galvanized metal plate or strip, preferably having corresponding dimensions to the size and shape of the double sided tape  30 , is applied to the lower side of the tape  30  to provide a secured metallic surface against and to which the flashlight magnet  22  may be adhered, and through which the flashlight  20  may be held in position during usage. 
     Removable attachment of the flashlight  20  to the armrest  10  is effected through the use of the magnet  22  integrated with the flashlight  20 , with the magnet  22  being placed against the metallic strip  16  to effect a coupling attachment of the flashlight  20  thereto. The attached flashlight is operable to furnish lighting within the immediate area, either forwardly, or rearwardly, as required by a user while motivating within the associated wheelchair. 
     Generally, the battery operated light, or flashlight like device, should be long enough to allow its magnet  22  to be approximately 2-3 inches back from the LED light provided in its front. This will allow the user to slide the light forward, and also allow the LED light to clear the framework of the wheelchair during usage. In doing so, it allows a full spectrum of light to be projected forwardly. When not in use, the light can be anywhere along its metal plate  16 , so as to place it in an unobstructing location, during nonusage. 
     Obviously, just as useful may be the removal of the flashlight  20 , with its integrated magnet  22 , from the metallic strip  16  when the user desires to have ready application of a flashlight, for use for flashing in other directions when that becomes necessary or desirable. 
       FIG. 2  shows a plan view of a metallic strip  16  sized and configured to conveniently fit beneath the armrest  10  of a typical wheelchair. 
       FIG. 3  shows a side view of the padded armrest  10  and its undersurface  18 , as can be noted. The double sided tape  30 , which is preferably of industrial strength, is preferably of such a strength that once it is applied to the undersurface  18  of the armrest  10  it will be adhered in place permanently, particularly since a flashlight  20  may be applied to the metallic strip  16 , or removed, many times without disrupting the adherence of upper surface of the tape  30  to the undersurface of the armrest and/or the adherence of the lower surface of the tape  30  to the metallic strip  16 . 
     For much the same reason, the metal strip  16  is preferably a galvanized metal strip of a  26  gauge, more or less, and is generally cut to the same dimensions as the double sided tape so that it will fully cover the tacky lower surface of the tape  30 . This has generally been found adequate to hold the metal strip  16  in position, once again, for repeat applications of a flashlight thereto during usage of the wheelchair lighting system. 
     The flashlight  20  is depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 3  with the magnet  22  rigidly secured thereto, such as by rivets or by other suitable connection devices and/or techniques between these two components. As noted in  FIG. 3 , the flashlight  20  preferably has a frontal light, as noted at  36 , and may also have a rear directed light  38 , where such may be desirable. 
     In any event, a goal of this invention is to enhance and improve the mobility of individuals using wheelchairs, especially portable or foldable wheelchairs, including by the provision of a portable light device that can be conveniently mounted upon the wheelchair to provide lighting assistance to the wheelchair user as he/she attempts to move about in the wheelchair, particularly in darker areas, and by allowing the user to readily and conveniently remove such mounted light device and use it as a flashlight when circumstances make it so desirable. Preferably, the light device is in the form of a flashlight that may illuminate both forwardly, and perhaps rearwardly, which is held in a relatively stable position on the underside of an armrest of the wheelchair when mounted thereto, such as by means of a magnet integrated therewith, so as to direct light towards that area where the user needs to move when using the wheelchair. With such a light device, the flashlight  20  may thereafter be readily removed from the wheelchair by separating its magnet  22  from the metal strip  16  so that the flashlight can then be held by the user and directed in other orientations to light a desired area when the user has arrived at his/her desired location. 
     It may be a potential modification to this invention, by way of example, that the mounting component  16  applied to the undersurface of the double sided tape may be a magnetic strip of metal or magnetized doped polymer so as to function as a magnet, and to which a metallic body or portion of an independent flashlight may be coupled for temporary connection in order to furnish illumination in various directions during usage of the wheelchair. In other words, the magnet may be included as the, or a portion of the, mounting component secured to the wheelchair rather than as part of the lighting device intended for mounting upon the wheelchair. Such a configuration offers a further advantage in that a user could then readily attach other metallic objects and accessories, such as scissors, to the magnet, in addition to or instead of the flashlight, to more easily transport such accessories from place to place. 
     The various mounting components  16  intended to be applied to the wheelchair may be secured thereto under either of the wheelchair armrests or even under both of the right and left armrests if it is desired to furnish lighting on both sides of the wheelchair. Hence, the preferred metal strips  16 , and the double sided tape  30  employed for securing such metals strips, will typically be of identical design so as to be interchangeable between the right and left side armrests for the chair. As has already been explained, such metal strips are typically intended to be permanently attached to the underside of the armrest with the double sided tape, which may be applied to both armrests so as to furnish readily available surfaces to which a magnetic flashlight may be adhered during usage. 
     While it is envisioned that a kit for use in installing a removable light beneath the armrest of a wheelchair will typically include double sided tape for use in securing a mounting component to the wheelchair, it is recognized that the inclusion and use of double sided tape is not mandatory and that other constructions, devices, and techniques may also be utilized for securing a metal strip, or a component including a magnet portion, to the armrest of a wheelchair. 
     It is also recognized that, while the use of magnetic coupling permits ready binding or coupling of a flashlight to the armrest of a wheelchair, as has been explained hereinabove, other techniques and manners of temporarily attaching the flashlight to the wheelchair could also be readily employed to achieve the same or like effect. For example, and not by way of limitation, the flashlight and a mounting component secured to the wheelchair could employ complementary hook and loop connection systems, such a Velcro® fasteners, that would permit the easy attachment and removal of a flashlight from the wheelchair. 
     As noted hereinabove, the lighting system may be a dual lighting system with each light system being independent of the other. In such event, the light systems are preferably intended to be identical in their designs and interchangeable. They can be used either on the right or the left side armrest, or on both, and directed either forwardly or rearwardly, as desired. 
     Preferably, the light systems will be battery operated flashlights, typically of smaller sizes, such as of penlight size to accommodate A or AA or smaller, such as coin sized, batteries, and to be readily held and manipulated by a wheelchair user, and generally will have a front directed lighting system, but a rear light may also be available upon such a flashlight. The flashlights of the preferred embodiments discussed hereinabove include permanent magnets secured and attached thereto, which allows for easy attachment of the flashlights to the armrest and their easy removal for use as a handheld flashlight and for ease of battery changing. 
     If desired, the flashlights may be designed to include circuitry or other construction to permit the recharging of the batteries or like power sources for the flashlights, and, if the wheelchair includes an electric power source, the flashlights may be connectable to the electric power source of the wheelchair for recharging purposes. 
     Preferably, the lighting system is designed so that, when it is attached to the underside of the armrest, it will not project beyond the outside edge of the armrest, and, ideally, the lighting system will not be any wider than armrest. Such a configuration will allow a user to easily operate the wheelchair and to negotiate tight spaces without interference from either lighting system and without occasioning impacts to the light that might otherwise cause untimely removal or detachment of the light from the mounting component beneath the armrest, to the inconvenience of the user. In addition, such configuration permits the wheelchair, even with the flashlight mounted thereto, to be folded flat without any necessity of removing the lighting systems from their respective armrests. 
     The simplicity of the preferred lighting system embodiment, with a metal plate under each armrest and a battery powered light system with an integrated permanent magnet on each light system, makes for a very facile, simple, easy to use, and versatile wheelchair lighting system. 
     It should be appreciated that, although it is envisioned that the invention will typically be applied to pre-existing wheelchairs so as to accommodate a lighting system to facilitate illumination forwardly and/or rearwardly of the wheelchair during its usage, the invention can also be readily incorporated into wheelchairs as they are manufactured and sold. In the latter events, a mounting component such as described and discussed above can be readily secured to a wheelchair armrest during manufacture, and a user can thereafter conveniently engage a portable light, such as a flashlight, with such mounting component, in the same or like manners as already described and discussed. Especially in such event, the mounting component, such as a metallized strip, may, during wheelchair manufacture, be secured to the armrest, especially the underside of the armrest, by any suitable constructions or processes, including screws and bolts to mention but a few possible approaches, so as to effect a secure attachment of the mounting component to the armrest for the practice of the invention. In accordance with previous discussions herein, such a metallized strip would preferably be dimensioned to generally conform to the underside of the armrest and fit within the lateral dimensions of the armrest. 
     This lighting system will use, generally, two AAA type batteries. This allows for the overall width of the lighting system to be a one inch maximum width. This width keeps the light system from protruding beyond the side of the armrest, during usage. As stated, it does not become an obstruction for the person negotiating the wheelchair. 
     Variations or modifications to the subject matter of this invention may occur to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the invention as described herein. Such variations, if within the spirit of this invention, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of any claims to patent protection issuing herein or herefrom. The specific depictions of the invention, as described in the specification, and as illustrated in the drawings, are set forth as exemplary embodiments, and are not intended to encompass all possible embodiments.