Abstract:
A carrier for retaining an oxygen bottle said carrier comprising a flexible open-top container adapted for maintaining a close fitting relationship with an oxygen bottle, said container including an upper mouth portion made at least partially from a stiff material to enable an oxygen bottle to be loaded therein vertically; and a flexible upper bottle retaining portion, for preventing said bottle from falling out of said carrier.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation in part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/037,207, filed Jan. 7, 2002, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to the field of oxygen bottle carrying apparatus, particularly for individuals who have difficulty breathing and, in particular, to an oxygen bottle carrier that can be attached for use to an orthopedic appliance, such as a walker or a wheelchair.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Many patients and, in particular, elderly patients, have breathing disorders that necessitate the use of oxygen. In certain extreme cases, the patient must have oxygen for breathing available at all times and, in particular, when the patient is exerting him or herself, as for example, when walking. Oxygen bottle caddies on wheels are presently available for transporting oxygen bottles. However, these devices require the use of one of the patient&#39;s hands to propel the bottle, thus rending them impractical for use when the patient must also use a walker to get about. Attempts to mount an oxygen bottle upon a walker have been proven to be less than satisfactory because the bottle typically renders the walker unstable and extremely difficult to manage. This, in turn, can pose a dangerous situation for an elderly or weak patient which can lead to a potentially damaging fall.  
           [0004]    Alternately, patients who cannot walk utilize wheelchairs to get from place to place. There are known oxygen bottle carriers that are designed specifically for use with such appliances, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,001. However, there are associated problems with such carriers. For example, typically the extremely flexible fabric carrier sack must first be placed on the floor or other surface in a non-use position in order to push the oxygen bottle into the confines thereof. That is to say, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible for one person to load the bottle into the carrier in the use position on the wheelchair or walker. This is disadvantageous, particularly when attempting, for example, in trying to replace an empty bottle. In addition, there are also associated problems in attempting to attach the caddy to the wheelchair or other appliance in an effectively balanced manner. Still further, there are issues concerning whether the top of the bottle is effectively secured, for example, if the carrier were to fall, given the dangerous circumstances surrounding a pressurized oxygen bottle.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to improve oxygen bottle carriers in an effort to overcome the above-noted deficiences of the prior art.  
           [0006]    It is a further primary object of the present invention to provide for the safety of patients who require the use of both oxygen and a walker or other appliance, such as a wheelchair, when moving from place to place.  
           [0007]    It is a still further object of the present invention to mount an oxygen bottle upon a walker or other appliance in a stable condition that will not impede the user&#39;s ability to safely control the walker.  
           [0008]    It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a carrier for an oxygen bottle that permits same to more effectively support an oxygen bottle in the instance the carrier should fall. In addition, the carrier, can preferably include convenient means for supporting additional items and storage.  
           [0009]    These and other objects of the present invention are attained by a carrier for supporting an oxygen bottle, said carrier including an open-top flexible container having at least a pair of stabilizing straps are attached to the container, said straps being securable to lateral portions of said applicance to prevent the container and thus the oxygen bottle from moving out of the commonly shared frame with the wheels.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]    For a better understanding of these and other objects of the present invention, reference will be made to the following detailed description of the invention which is to be read in association with the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a walker having an oxygen bottle carrier made in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along lines  2 - 2  in FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a further partial sectional view taken along lines  3 - 3  in FIG. 2;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is an enlarged rear perspective view of the walker and carrier of FIGS.  1 - 3 ;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of an oxygen bottle carrier made in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the carrier being used in conjunction with a wheelchair;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a partial top view of the oxygen bottle carrier of FIG. 5; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a partial enlarged top view of the carrier of FIGS. 5 and 6 with the upper retaining portion of the bag removed for purposes of clarity. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0018]    The following discussion relates to certain preferred embodiments of an oxygen bottle carrier that is made in accordance with the present invention and used in conjunction with certain orthopedic applicances. It should be readily apparent that certain modifications and variations will be available to one of sufficient skill in the field, after consulting the teachings provided herein.  
         [0019]    With regard to the first embodiment, and turning now to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a walker, generally referenced  10 , that includes an oxygen bottle carrier made in accordance with the present invention. The walker  10  is of typical construction and includes a pair of side frames  12  and  13 . Each side frame  12 ,  13  is of similar construction and includes a vertically disposed front leg  15  and a vertically disposed rear bar  16 . A horizontally disposed handrail  18  is integrally joined to the front and rear legs  15 ,  16  and provides a means by which a patient can securely grip and control the walker  10  when situated between the two side frames  12 ,  13 . A lower rail  20  also extends between the front and rear legs  15 ,  16  of each side frame  12 ,  13  in order to provide additional strength to the walker  10 .  
         [0020]    The two side frames  12 ,  13  are supported in a spaced apart relationship by an upper cross member  22  and a lower cross member  23  that are secured between the two front legs  15  of the frame. The rear section of the walker  10  remains open so that a patient using the walker can pass in an unobstructed manner between the two side frames  12 ,  13 . Each of the side frames  12 ,  13  is equipped with a wheel  21  that is rotatably supported upon a shaft  24  that is mounted in the lower part of the front leg  15 . In assembly, the two shafts  24  and the two cross members  22 ,  23  lie close to or actually within a common vertical plane. The above construction defines the majority of walkers in general, whose construction in and of itself is acknowledged as well known in the field and not forming an essential part of the present invention.  
         [0021]    A container, preferably in the form of an flexible open top bag  29 , is suspended from the upper cross member  22  of the walker  10 , as best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. The flexible bag  29  is preferably made from a flexible fabric, such as polyester or other lightweight material, and is of a size and shape such that the bag can hold a standard size oxygen bottle  25  that is slidably inserted into the bag through a top opening thereof. A close sliding fit is provided between the bottle  25  and the bag  29  so that the bottle is snugly supported within the bag. Preferably, the upper mouth portion of the bag  29  includes an imbedded plastic-reinforced periphery, see also FIG. 7, that maintains a predetermined shape and has adequate stiffness to easily permit a bottle  25  to be fitted directly into the bag  29 . The length of the bag  29 , according to this embodiment, is such that the upper part of the oxygen bottle  25  protrudes through the top opening whereby the regulator  26  and gauges  27  that are associated with the bottle are exposed and thus are easily accessible to one using the walker  10 .  
         [0022]    The flexible bag  29  is suspended from the top cross member  22  of the walker  10  by two-piece hanger straps which include a center strap  30 , and two smaller side straps  32  and  33  that are spaced to either side of the center strap. The two extreme ends of each strap are sewn into the bag  29  and the free ends of the straps are joined by releasable fasteners. In assembly, the flexible bag  29  is centered upon the upper cross member  22  between the two side frames  12 ,  13  and each of the side straps  32 ,  33  are looped over the cross member  22  and their free ends are tightly fastened together using a hoop and loop (e.g., Velcro) type fastener  40  as illustrated in FIG. 3. To pull the bag  29  securely against the cross member  22 , the hook and loop fastener includes a hook pad that is sewn into one of the strap&#39;s free ends and an elongated loop pad that is sewn into the free end of the other strap.  
         [0023]    The two side straps  32 ,  33  are primarily used to hold the flexible bag  29  centered between the side frames  12 ,  13  and to stabilize the top section of the bag. The center strap  30 , on the other hand, is designed to support the main weight of the bag  29  and a contained bottle  25 . The center strap  30  contains a first top piece  45  that has one end sewn into the bag  29  so that the top piece can loop over the upper cross member  22 , as illustrated in FIG. 2. The bottom piece of the center strap  30  has one end sewn into the bag  29  so that this end of the strap extends well below and behind the lower cross member  23  of the walker  10  when the top piece  45  is looped over the upper cross member  22 . As illustrated in FIG. 2, the two free ends of the center strap  30  are cojoined by a heavy duty buckle  47 . The strap parts  30  and the buckle  47  are fabricated of high strength materials, so that the strap is well able to support the container and the bottle  25  in an upright position upon the upper cross members  22 .  
         [0024]    The bottom section of the bag  29  is further stabilized by a pair of lower stabilizing straps  50  and  51 . Each stabilizing strap  50 ,  51  has one end sewn into the lower part of the bag  29  and is of sufficient length so that the opposite ends of the strap can be looped around the lower part of one of the front legs of the walker as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. Here again, hook and loop type fasteners  53  are employed to fasten the free end of each strap upon itself. Each fastener  53 , for example, may have a hook pad sewn into the free end of the strap and an elongated loop pad sewn into a length of its body section so that the strap can be pulled taut and closed to hold the bag centered between the side frames.  
         [0025]    As should now be evident, the bottle&#39;s center of gravity is located equidistance between the two side frames  12 ,  13  of the walker  10  and lies about or within the vertical plane of the wheel shafts  24 . A patient (not shown) using the walker  10  needs simply to tip up the rear legs  16  of the walker about the axis of the wheels  21  and propel the walker in a forward direction. Because the center of gravity of the contained oxygen bottle  25  lies in a vertical plane that passes through or very close to the axis of the wheel  21 , the walker  10  can be easily tipped and propelled forwardly without much more exertion than that produced by a walker that is not equipped with an oxygen bottle. It should be further noted that because the bottle  25  is stabilized in this centered position, there is no tendency of the walker  10  to tip from side to side and it can be safely turned around corners without tipping over.  
         [0026]    As illustrated in FIG. 4, an open top pouch  60  is also sewn into the bag  29  about opposite the location of the strap fastener  30 . One or more tools  61  associated with the oxygen bottle  25  can be conveniently stored in the pouch  60  so that they are readily available in the event some adjustment must be made to the regulator  26  and other parts of the oxygen system while the walker  10  is in use.  
         [0027]    Referring now to FIGS.  5 - 7 , there is described an oxygen bottle carrier  70  made in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. The carrier in this instance is uses in conjunction with a wheelchair  74  shown most particularly in FIG. 5, the wheel chair including a frame  78  that is defined by a seat  82  and a backrest  86 . The frame  78  further includes a pair of spaced vertical handles  90  disposed on either side of the backrest  86  used for pushing the wheelchair  74 , whereas the seat  82  includes armrests  94  and respective vertically extending front and rear legs  98 ,  102 . The wheelchair  74  further includes a pair of swivelable front wheels  106  connected to a lower portion of the front legs  98  of the frame  78  as well as a pair of rear wheels  110  attached to the lower portion of each of the rear legs  102 . The above construction defines the majority of wheelchairs in general, whose construction in and of itself is acknowledged as well known in the field and not forming an essential part of the present invention.  
         [0028]    Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the carrier  70  is defined by a flexible bag  114  made preferably from a fabric such as polyester or other lightweight material and having a configuration that permits same to establish a close fitting relationship with a standard sized oxygen bottle, shown partially as  25 . The bag  114  includes an upper mouth section  118  that includes a peripheral plastic reinforcement section, as more particularly shown at least partially in FIG. 7. The purpose of this section  118  is to provide certain stiffness and rigidity in initially accommodating an oxygen bottle  25  (not shown in FIG. 7), wherein the bottle can easily be loaded by one person while the carrier is attached to the appliance, whether a walker or wheelchair, for example.  
         [0029]    Still referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the flexible bag  114  defining the carrier  70  further includes a flexible bottle retaining section  122  directly above the upper mouth section  118  made from a fabric, such as nylon, polyester or other lightweight material and including a drawstring  126  in order to tighten the section once a bottle  25  has been successfully accommodated into the bag  114 . The above section  122  is sewn, according to this embodiment, to the upper periphery of the upper mouth section  118  of the bag  114 . It should be readily apparent, however, that other forms of flexible sections can be attached through various means such as zippers, clips, and the like. The flexible covering section can also be alternately made from a transparent material and can cover the regulator and gauges, but provide needed access to the oxygen line directly.  
         [0030]    The carrier  70  further includes separate upper and lower retaining means for retaining the bag to each of the vertical handles  90  of the wheelchair behind the backrest  86 . The upper retaining means includes a strap  130  sewn or otherwise attached, either permanently or removably, to the bag  114  and including respective ends  134  and  138 . Each of the ends  134 ,  138  of the strap  130  include a buckle  137  and a respective strap section  139 , wherein the entire length of the strap can be adjusted at either end, each of the strap sections being wrappable about a portion of the handle  90 .  
         [0031]    The bottom section of the bag  114  is further stabilized by a pair of lower stabilizing straps  140 ,  142 . Each stabilizing strap  140 ,  142  has one end sewn into the lower part of the bag  114  and is of sufficient length so that the opposite ends of the strap can be looped around the lower part of one of the rear legs  102  of the wheelchair  74 . Preferably, hook and loop type fasteners  145  are employed to fasten the free end of each strap  140 ,  142  upon itself. Each fastener  145 , for example, may have a hook pad sewn into the free end of the strap  140 ,  142  and an elongated loop pad sewn into a length of its body section so that the strap can be pulled taut and closed to hold the bag  114  centered between the rear legs  102  of the wheelchair  74 .  
         [0032]    Finally, the upper mouth section  118  of the bag  114  includes a pair of slots  149 , FIG. 7, used to accommodate a pair of straps that retain an outer basket  152  that can be used for storage of items. The basket  152  can further include at least one exterior pocket  156 .  
         [0033]    Parts List For FIGS.  1 - 7   
         [0034]    [0034] 10  walker  
         [0035]    [0035] 12  side frame  
         [0036]    [0036] 13  side frame  
         [0037]    [0037] 15  front leg  
         [0038]    [0038] 16  rear leg  
         [0039]    [0039] 18  handrail  
         [0040]    [0040] 20  lower rail  
         [0041]    [0041] 21  wheels  
         [0042]    [0042] 22  upper cross member  
         [0043]    [0043] 23  lower cross member  
         [0044]    [0044] 24  wheel shafts  
         [0045]    [0045] 25  oxygen bottle  
         [0046]    [0046] 26  regulator  
         [0047]    [0047] 27  gauges  
         [0048]    [0048] 29  flexible bag  
         [0049]    [0049] 30  center strap  
         [0050]    [0050] 32  side strap  
         [0051]    [0051] 33  side strap  
         [0052]    [0052] 45  top piece  
         [0053]    [0053] 47  buckle  
         [0054]    [0054] 50  stabilizing strap  
         [0055]    [0055] 51  stabilizing strap  
         [0056]    [0056] 53  fasteners, hoop and loop  
         [0057]    [0057] 60  pouch  
         [0058]    [0058] 61  tool  
         [0059]    [0059] 70  carrier  
         [0060]    [0060] 74  wheelchair  
         [0061]    [0061] 78  wheelchair frame  
         [0062]    [0062] 82  seat  
         [0063]    [0063] 86  backrest  
         [0064]    [0064] 90  handles  
         [0065]    [0065] 94  armrests  
         [0066]    [0066] 98  front legs  
         [0067]    [0067] 102  rear leags  
         [0068]    [0068] 106  front wheels  
         [0069]    [0069] 110  rear wheels  
         [0070]    [0070] 114  bag  
         [0071]    [0071] 118  upper mouth section  
         [0072]    [0072] 122  flexible retaining section  
         [0073]    [0073] 126  drawstring  
         [0074]    [0074] 130  strap  
         [0075]    [0075] 134  strap end  
         [0076]    [0076] 137  buckle  
         [0077]    [0077] 138  strap end  
         [0078]    [0078] 139  strap section  
         [0079]    [0079] 140  stabilizing strap  
         [0080]    [0080] 142  stabilizing strap  
         [0081]    [0081] 145  hook and loop-type fasteners  
         [0082]    [0082] 149  slots  
         [0083]    [0083] 150  basket straps  
         [0084]    [0084] 152  outer basket  
         [0085]    [0085] 156  exterior pocket  
         [0086]    While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred mode as illustrated in the drawing, it will be understood by one skilled in the art that various changes in detail may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims. For example, the basket attachment described in the wheelchair embodiment can easily be utilized in a walker-type carrier as well. In addition, it should be apparent that the herein described carrier can be used with other appliances and that, for example, other pockets can be formed on the flexible bag other than a tool pouch.  
         [0087]    In addition, the preceding embodiments each supported a specifically sized oxygen bottle though it should be apparent that type “D” and “E” bottles, among others, can be supported. Moreover, the present carrier can be configured to accommodate different or varying lengths of bottles using the identical supporting details to attach to the various orthopedic appliances but include means within the bottle to define various sized compartments or enclosures to properly accommodate a given bottle. Such means can include belts, strips, hook and loop fasteners, as well as flaps, among others.