Abstract:
In view of the foregoing, an embodiment herein provides a protective cover for manually operated movable carriages. Specifically, the protective cover of the present invention includes a double layered canopy portion and a shaft portion, wherein the shaft portion further includes an attachment device that can be securely clamped onto the body of such movable carriages. A dual clamp mechanism is provided with the attachment device to help an operator adjust the orientation of the protective cover according to his requirement and also to allow a 360° rotation to a closed protective cover thus achieving an easy storage solution. Further, the protective cover is structured and designed to withstand extreme weather conditions without getting toppled over.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The embodiments herein generally relate to an all-purpose protective cover configured to be used with a movable carriage. Specifically, the embodiments described herein relate to an umbrella cover configured to protect operator of a carriage from weather extremities such that the cover is conveniently mountable on the carriage. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Manually operated movable carriages, specifically, wheel chairs and baby strollers, have elaborate arrangements for the safety and well being of its occupants but seldom focus on the operator who handles such carriages. An operator of such a carriage has to manage the movement of the carriage which generally involves both his hands, thus making it further difficult for him to use a protective cover, like an umbrella, with one hand and to maneuver the carriage with the other. 
         [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,379 discloses a universal clamping fixture for attaching a wide variety of umbrellas, sunscreens etc. to a baby carriage. The clamps provided therein are rigid and provide a very restrictive movement to the umbrella forcing the operator to be satisfied with an orientation of the umbrella that he has clamped and is practically helpless if, say, the wind or rain, changes direction. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,557 discloses an umbrella mounting device for a stroller. The patent, however, describes such placement of said mounting device (and hence the umbrella) that it blocks the forward view of the operator. Also, the patent fails to provide any arrangement for keeping back the umbrella when not in use. 
         [0007]    US 20090205692 relates to shades that could be attached to walkers and other mobility aids. The shades of the &#39;692 published application can be rotated from a functionally horizontal orientation to a functionally vertical orientation around a connector joint placed on the shaft bearing the shade. The shaft, in turn, is attached to the walker through a pair of frictional collars. Such an arrangement is restrictive of a full rotation of the shade bearing shaft and even in a closed shade state, the shaft is held in an upright position, thus creating an unwarranted obstacle in the path of the operator. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,493,708 discloses an umbrella that could be attached to a stroller. The umbrella is fairly large to cover the operator as well as the entire carriage and requires an additional counterweight to balance the weight of the umbrella. Further, straps are provided at the rear end of the umbrella which is fastened to the legs of the operator. Such an arrangement is not only cumbersome for the operator but also creates a nuisance in the public. 
         [0009]    There therefore exists a need in the art to provide for a protective cover that not only provides an operator desired shield from weather extremities but is also attached to the carriage in a manner that it allows an operator the flexibility to not only rotate and configure the cover according to his need but also adjust the height of the cover so as to withstand different weather conditions and take operator&#39;s height into consideration. Further, a protective cover of such nature must also be designed in a manner to not let wind or heavy rain topple it to an inverted position. Finally, the protective cover must take minimal space, should be less cumbersome, and be convenient to use and store. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    In view of the foregoing, an embodiment herein provides a protective cover for manually operated movable carriages. Specifically, the protective cover of the present invention includes a double layered canopy portion and a shaft portion, wherein the shaft portion further includes an attachment device that can be securely clamped onto the body of such movable carriages. A dual clamp mechanism is provided with the attachment device to help an operator adjust the orientation of the protective cover according to his requirement and also to allow a 360° rotation to a closed protective cover thus achieving an easy storage solution. Further, the protective cover is structured and designed to withstand extreme weather conditions without getting toppled over. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The detailed description is set forth with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The use of the same reference numbers in different figures indicates similar items. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates side view of a baby carriage with a protective cover in open position according to an embodiment herein; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  illustrates front view of a protective cover according to an embodiment herein; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  illustrates side view of an attachment device according to an embodiment herein; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  illustrates different orientations of a protective cover achieved through a clamp mechanism according to an embodiment herein; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  illustrates side view of a baby carriage with a protective cover in closed position according to an embodiment herein; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  illustrates a mechanism to achieve desired height of a protective cover according to an embodiment herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0018]    The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates a device  100  depicting a protective cover  102  attached to a baby carriage  104 , also referred to as stroller hereinafter, according to an embodiment. The protective cover  102  can be configured to protect the caregiver of the stroller  104  from rain, sun, and wind. In an embodiment, the protective cover  102  can be attached to the baby carriage  104  through an attachment means, as would be described in detail with reference to subsequent figures. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  illustrates front view of a protective cover  102 . In an embodiment, the protective cover  102  can be an umbrella or an umbrella like device. In another embodiment, the protective cover  102  includes a canopy portion  202  and a shaft portion  204 . The canopy portion  202  of the protective cover  102  can further include an upper portion  206  and a lower portion  208 . In an embodiment, the upper portion  206  of the canopy  202  can be made of an SUV and a permeable textile material and the lower portion  208  of the canopy  202  can be made of a clear permeable textile. The upper portion  206 , through an SUV and permeable textile based material, provides a durable and rigid support to the protective cover  102  and is made of suitable, weather-proof material to bear conditions like harsh rain drops, frozen precipitation etc. The lower portion  208  of the canopy  202 , on the other hand, is made of a transparent material to allow the operator or caregiver of the stroller  104  clear visibility. In an embodiment, the upper portion  206  and the lower portion  208  can be placed over each other so as to create a vented hood design for the canopy  202 . Such design ensures a secure exit of incoming wind, thereby preventing the protective cover  102  from inverting against the force of wind. 
         [0021]    The shaft portion  204  of the protective cover  102 , in an embodiment, comprises a central shaft  210 , a telescoping means  212 , a flexible metal tubing  214 , an attachment device  216  and a flared end piece  218 . In an embodiment, the central shaft  210  can comprise of two or more central shaft components, with one shaft component being slidably movable within the recess of the other component. The different shaft components of the central shaft  210  can be joined at the telescoping means  212 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , shaft component  210   b  of central shaft  210  is slidable against the recess of slide components  210   a  as is explained in detail in  FIG. 6 . The central shaft  210  is preferably made of aluminum and metal so as to provide a lightweight yet stiff protective cover which is durable and weather-proof. 
         [0022]    In another embodiment, the telescoping means  212  can be provided at a point where two shaft components of the central shaft  210  meet. The telescoping means  212  is a rotating sleeve that allows for adjustment of umbrella height. Twisting the telescoping means  212  in an anti-clockwise manner loosens the connection between the two shaft components allowing for the two shaft components to slide freely. An operator can then adjust the length of the central shaft  210  as per his/her convenience. Once the desired length is achieved, the telescoping means  212  can be twisted in a clock-wise manner to hold the shaft components of the central shaft  210  in their current position. The length adjusting feature is particularly useful for users of different heights who want the protective cover to be matching to their heights. This feature can also be useful under circumstances where one needs to adjust the height of the protective cover  102  depending upon the intensity of wind or rain. 
         [0023]    In another embodiment, the flexible metal tubing  214  can be provided at a shaft component of the central shaft  210  to allow for small adjustments in the direction of the protective cover  102 . Functionally, moving the protective cover  102  bends the flexible metal tubing  214 . The metal tubing  214  retains its shape until it is bent into another position. Thus, the flexible metal tubing  214  provides an axis of maneuvering the direction of the protective cover  102 . 
         [0024]    In yet another embodiment, the attachment device  216  provided on the shaft portion  204  further comprises of an inner clamp  220  and an outer clamp  222 . The attachment device  216  is a means to attach the protective cover  102  to the body of the carriage  104 , also referred to as stroller and/or baby carriage. A dual clamp mechanism, as is described below with reference to subsequent figures, can be configured to the attachment device  216  to provide separate clamps to attach, respectively, to the central shaft  210  of the protective cover  102  and the carriage body  104 . The positioning of the two clamps in close vicinity and on the same device ensures that this arrangement is clutter free and occupies a minimum possible space. The dual clamp mechanism also provides an additional benefit of swirling a closed protective cover  102  around the inner clamp axis for easy storage. The attachment device  216  can be designed to be comfortably attached to any type of carriage. 
         [0025]    In yet another embodiment, the flare end  218  towards the end of the central shaft  210  is designed so as to provide a smooth edge to an operator using the protective cover  102 . The flare end  218  can, preferably, be of a tapering nature and be made of smooth polymeric material. 
         [0026]      FIG. 3  illustrates side view  300  of the attachment device  216  according to an embodiment. The inner clamp  220 , also referred to as upper clamp  220  hereinafter, can be configured to attach to the shaft portion  204  of the protective cover  102  and provide a firm grip to the protective cover  102  while the outer clamp  222 , also referred to as the lower clamp  222  hereinafter, can be configured to attach to the carriage body  104 , thereby providing a firm grip to the carriage  104 . This gives the operator of the carriage  104  an advantage to not engage his hands to hold the protective cover  102  and instead use his hands to maneuver the carriage  104 . The clamps,  220  and  222 , can be rotated around their own axis and their clockwise or anticlockwise twisting can tighten or loosen their respective attachment to central shaft  210  of the carriage body  104 . The tightening and loosening of the inner clamp  220  can be particularly helpful in setting a preferred orientation for the protective cover  102 . In yet another embodiment, the attachment mechanism can also be used with other carriage  104  and/or strollers. 
         [0027]      FIG. 4  illustrates different orientations  400  of a protective cover  102  achieved through a clamp mechanism according to an embodiment. Orientations  400  can include different orientations  402 ,  404 , and  406  of the central shaft  210 , and hence of the protective cover  102 , achieved due to differential rotation of the central shaft  210  brought about by loosening the inner clamp  220 . Once the desired orientation is set, the inner clamp  220  can be tightened in its position. The outer clamp  222  can remain attached to the carriage body  104  during the whole exercise. In a preferred embodiment, the clamps are made of heavy duty plastic and aluminum. Orientation  402  demonstrates an open position of the protective cover  102  and the orientation  406  demonstrates the closed position of the protective cover  102 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 5  illustrates a side view  500  of a baby carriage  104  with a protective cover  102  in closed position according to an embodiment. Referring to  FIG. 5 , the inner clamp  220  enables an operator to place the closed protective cover  102  at a location adjacent to the main body of the carriage  104 . The closed protective cover  102 , when not in use, can be rotated around the inner clamp  220  and placed sideways to a handle or bar of the carriage  104 . The inner clamp  220  enables a 360° rotation of the closed protective cover  102 . Further, the handle or bar can be configured to provide a strap  502  to keep the closed protective cover  102  at its position. This offers a simplistic and clutter free arrangement to store the protective cover  102  when not in use. Also, when desired to use, the mechanism offered, as disclosed in the embodiment described above, to open the protective cover is simple and easy-to-follow. The operator, in such cases, can free the strap  502  and rotate the protective cover  102  along the inner clamp  220  axis to an upright position and open the protective cover  102 . The direction and height of the protective cover  102  can then be adjusted according to the embodiments described above. The clamping mechanism of the present invention, thus, provides an advantage not only in terms of space and convenience of use to an operator, but, functionally, by allowing an operator to adjust the height and bend of the protective shield as well as providing a complete flexibility of rotating the protective cover by 360 degree, also offer novel solution to the operator. 
         [0029]      FIG. 6  illustrates a mechanism  600  to adjust the length of the central shaft  210  using the telescopic means  212  according to an embodiment. At  602 , the central shaft  210  is provided with distinct shaft components  210   a  and  210   b  joined at the telescopic means  212 . The telescopic means  212 , as mentioned above, is a sleeve which can be twisted to effect a loosening or tightening the connection between the two shaft components allowing them to slide freely against each other. At  602 , the telescopic means  212  is loosened to ease the connection between the shaft components  210   a  and  210   b  so as to enable the shaft component  210   b  to be slidable against the recess of shaft component  210   a.  At  604 , the length of the central shaft  210  is adjusted by allowing just the right length of the shaft component  210   b  to slide against the recess of shaft component  210   a.  At  606 , once the desired length is achieved, the telescoping means  212  is tightened to hold the shaft components of the central shaft  210  in their current position.