Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
MOUNTING APPARATUS
FIELD
The present invention relates to a mounting apparatus. More specifically, the
present invention
relates to an apparatus which can be used to mount articles which normally
must be held (such as,
but not limited to, an umbrella) so that user's hand remain free. It is
contemplated that the mounting
apparatus allows the article to be mounted to a variety of places, including a
person, a chair, or
other anything else suitably shaped for attachment. In some embodiments, it is
contemplated that
the mounting apparatus may provide support for a variety of useful articles,
such as but not limited
to an umbrella, a solar panel, an antenna, and storage pockets.
BACKGROUND
Many useful articles require a user to actively hold the article despite not
requiring much attention
during use. Requiring the user to hold the object restricts the user's ability
to use his/her hands for
other things. It will be also appreciated that other useful articles may not
necessarily need to be
held but may require specialized mounting equipment to be setup.
For example, an umbrella is useful since it can protect a user from
environmental conditions if it
is in place, but often does not require the user to actively do anything
besides setting it up.
Depending on the type of umbrella (such as a rain umbrella or sun umbrella), a
user may either
need to hold it or provide specialized mounting conditions so that the
umbrella can be used in a
hands-free fashion.
Rain umbrellas are typically composed of a central shaft with a handle at the
bottom and a series
of radially distributed arms at the top which are covered in a waterproof or
water-resistant material.
Rain umbrellas may be collapsible or non-collapsible. A collapsible umbrella
may have a
telescoping central shaft and folding arms which allow the umbrella to fit
comfortably in a bag
when not in use. A non-collapsible umbrella merely pivots the arms towards the
central shaft when
not in use. Both types or rain umbrella require someone to hold the umbrella
by the handle to
protect things from the rain.
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On the other hand, sun umbrellas are typically much larger than rain umbrellas
and may be
supported by a large central shaft or an articulating arm which supports the
umbrella from above
and may further be connected to a weighted stand. Sun umbrellas also use
radially distributed arms,
but the arms are covered in a material which is opaque and not necessarily
waterproof or water-
resistant. Central shaft sun umbrellas may be pointed at the base so that they
can be inserted into
the ground for support or may be inserted into a weighted stand.
With both of these types of umbrellas, the means of supporting the umbrella
can be limiting. For
rain umbrellas, a person must always hold, or in some way prop-up the
umbrella, which can cause
fatigue for the user if the umbrella must be supported for an extended period.
Holding the umbrella
also limits the user's use of his/her hands. For sun umbrellas, the umbrella
either needs to be
inserted into soft ground (which may not be available) or needs to be
supported by a purpose-built
support stand which can be inconvenient or cumbersome to use.
These same principles extend to many other useful articles. A solar panel can
passively collect
power which can be used to power/charge electronic devices but needs to be
mounted somewhere
that adequately faces the sun. An external antenna may provide greater
reception for an electronic
device but also needs some sort of mounting apparatus to provide this benefit.
Even a properly
mounted pocket can provide a user a way to keep an object conveniently
accessible while relieving
the user of need to constantly hold it.
Therefore, what is needed is a mounting apparatus which can provide a
versatile means of
mounting a variety of useful articles to a variety of places, supports, and
structures which were not
necessarily intended to support the useful articles or which can be worn by a
user without requiring
the user to hold or prop up the useful article thereby allowing users to keep
their hands free.
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention provides a mounting apparatus that allows a useful
article to be attached to
a place or a person such that the mounting apparatus may provide hands-free
use of an article
without the need for a custom external support structure. It is further
contemplated that the
mounting apparatus may be mounted to a variety of readily available objects
such as chairs,
railings, or similar objects with sufficient attachment areas.
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For example, in one embodiment the present mounting apparatus may provide a
support structure
for an umbrella which is mounted to a chair to provide the user with hands-
free protection from
environmental conditions without the need to hold the umbrella or have a
specialized umbrella
stand.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a mounting apparatus, having
a support
assembly having a substantially horizontal support member that extends
horizontally from a first
side to a second side and adapted to be mounted to a mounting place such that
the substantially
horizontal support member abuts a substantially horizontal area of the
mounting place, the
substantially horizontal support member having a front surface, a rear surface
and a downwardly
projecting element positioned between the first side and the second side, the
substantially
horizontal support member having at least one mounting place attachment means
located on at
least one of the front surface and the rear surface, the support assembly
including at least one upper
attachment point and a corresponding at least one lower attachment point, the
at least one upper
attachment point positioned on the front surface of the substantially
horizontal support member
the corresponding at least one lower attachment point positioned on the rear
surface of the
substantially horizontal support member and at least one strap extending
between the at least one
upper attachment point and the corresponding at least one lower attachment
point.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides an umbrella attached to
the above mounting
apparatus. In this embodiment, in addition to the above, the mounting
apparatus further includes a
first pivot assembly supported at a first side of the support assembly; a
second pivot assembly
supported at a second side of the support assembly; a plurality of curved ribs
each having a first
end and a second end, the plurality of curved ribs including a front rib and a
back rib; wherein the
first end of each curved rib is secured to the first pivot assembly and the
second end of each curved
rib is secured to the second pivot assembly; and at least one piece of
flexible material is secured
to the plurality of curved ribs to form a canopy when in an extended position;
wherein in a non-
extended position the plurality of curved ribs are positioned downward behind
the support
assembly and in the extended position the plurality of curved ribs are pivoted
forward such that
the front rib is positioned in front of the support assembly and the back rib
is positioned behind
the support assembly in a closer to horizontal position than vertical position
with respect to the
mounting place.
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In yet another embodiment, the above mounting apparatus (without the umbrella)
further
comprises a solar panel; wherein the solar panel is connected to the support
assembly at a first side
of the support assembly by a first support arm and is connected to the support
assembly at a second
side of the support assembly by a second support arm. It a related embodiment,
the mounting
apparatus further comprises a first pivot assembly connected between the first
support arm and the
first side of the support assembly and a second pivot assembly connected
between the second
support arm and the second side of the support assembly such that the solar
panel can pivot around
the support assembly.
In yet another embodiment, the mounting apparatus with an umbrella (discussed
above) further
comprises a solar panel; wherein the solar panel is secured to an exterior
facing side of the canopy.
In yet another embodiment, any of the mounting apparatus embodiments discussed
above may
include one or more additional features. Such features include at least one
pocket attached to the
support assembly. In some embodiments, it is contemplated that a suitable
power cable runs
between the pocket and the solar panel so that a device may be charged while
it is being
simultaneously stored in the pocket.
Finally, in yet another embodiment, any of the previous mounting apparatus
embodiments can
further comprise a padded yoke which extends forwardly from the front surface
of the horizontal
support member, wherein the at least one upper attachment point is located at
a front surface of
the padded yoke. This padded yoke includes a forward opening arch and may
provide additional
comfort for a user (around the neck and/or shoulders) when the mounting
apparatus is worn.
DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES
The present invention will be better understood in connection with the
following Figures, in
which:
Figure 1 is a front view of a mounting apparatus, in accordance with one
embodiment of the
present invention, showing the mounting apparatus mounted to a chair with no
useful article
attached to the mounting apparatus;
Figure 2 is a rear view of the mounting apparatus of Figure 1 mounted to a
chair;
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Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of the mounting apparatus of Figures 1 to
3 being worn by a
user;
Figure 4 is a side view of the mounting apparatus, in accordance with another
embodiment of the
present invention, mounted to a chair with a canopy umbrella attached to the
apparatus;
Figure 5 is a rear view of the mounting apparatus in accordance with yet
another embodiment of
the present invention, mounted to a chair with a canopy umbrella and a solar
panel attached to the
mounting apparatus; and
Figure 6 is a rear view of the mounting apparatus in accordance with still
another embodiment of
the present invention, mounted to a chair with only a solar panel attached to
the mounting
apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
Detailed descriptions of some preferred embodiments are provided herein. Those
skilled in the art
will understand that the present invention may be embodied in many forms not
specifically
described here. The specific details presented are not intended to be
limiting, but rather provide a
representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to employ a
desired embodiment of the
present invention.
The present invention provides a mounting apparatus that allows a useful
article to be attached to
a place or a person such that the mounting apparatus may provide hands-free
use of the article
without the need for an additional, custom external support structure. The
present invention need
not be limited to any one of the useful articles described herein and may
allow a variety of different
articles to be attached/removed as desired. It is further contemplated that
the mounting apparatus
may be mounted to a variety of readily available objects such as chairs,
railings, or similar objects
with sufficient attachment areas, as will be discussed in further detail
below.
In the context of the present invention, it will be appreciated that -a useful
article" may be any
article which provides some benefit to a user substantially independent of any
active user input.
Within the present description, examples are given of an umbrella, a solar
panel, a sign, an antenna,
and one or more pockets (e.g., to hold a cellphone, a cup, etc.). These
examples are not intended
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to be limiting. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that any article
which can provide a benefit
by being available on a worn or mounted apparatus may be attached to the
mounting apparatus
without departing from the scope of the present invention.
FIGS. 1 to 6 depict various embodiments of the present mounting apparatus,
with and without
additional elements. All the figures depict the same base exemplary mounting
apparatus structure
with optional padded yoke 30. The depicted exemplary mounting apparatus
comprises two main
components: support assembly 10; and straps 20. Each of these components will
be discussed in
more detail below.
Support assembly 10 comprises a substantially horizontal support member 11
that horizontally
extends between a first side and a second side and includes a front surface, a
rear surface and a
downwardly projecting element 12. The substantially horizontal support member
11 provides
support for at least one mounting place attachment means 13. It will be
appreciated that the
mounting place attachment means can be any suitable means for attaching the
horizontal support
member to the desired mounting location. In these embodiments, the mounting
place attachment
means 13 is a pair of vertically aligned hook and loop fastener rings which
are adapted to be
secured around a substantially horizonal post (such as the crossbar of a chair
back) and located on
the rear surface of the horizontal support member 11, although other
arrangements are also
contemplated such as hooks or elasticized cords. In other embodiments, it is
contemplated that
mounting place attachment means 13 is a pair of horizontally aligned hook and
loop fastener rings
which are adapted to be secured around a substantially vertical post and
located on the rear surface
of the horizontal support member 11.
It is further contemplated that the mounting place attachment means 13 can
alternatively be located
on the rear surface of substantially horizontal support member 11, the front
surface of substantially
horizontal support member 11, and/or the front or rear surfaces of downwardly
projecting element
12 of substantially horizontal support member 11 as required by the particular
end-user
application. It will further be appreciated that the downwardly projecting
element 12 can be
considered an integral part of the substantially horizontal support member 11
and as such the front
and rear surfaces of substantially horizontal support member 11 can be
considered conterminous,
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co-extensive and/or synonymous with the front and rear surfaces of the
downwardly projecting
element 12.
In this way it is contemplated that the mounting place attachment means 13 can
be oriented in a
variety of ways in order to accommodate a variety of mounting surfaces. As a
result, a user of the
present invention can use the attachment means 13 in connection with straps 20
to provide a
flexible mounting system that can be adapted to mount the present invention to
a nearly limitless
variety of potential mounting surfaces, including but not limited to chairs,
walls and fences, all of
which could have vertical or horizontally oriented mounting points.
In this embodiment, the downwardly projecting element 12 includes two rear
attachment points 15
on the rear surface of the horizontal support member 11. Although the figures
depict the mounting
apparatus with two rear attachment points 15, any number of rear attachment
points 15 equal to or
greater than one may be used. As seen in FIGS. 2, 3, and 6, rear attachment
points 15 are depicted
as grommeted holes. Those skilled in the art will understand that any suitable
form of attachment
(e.g., hook and loop fasteners, buckles, rings, etc.) may be used without
departing from the scope
of the invention. Moreover, in other embodiments it is also contemplated that
rear attachment
points 15 can alternatively be located on the rear surface of the horizontal
support member 11.
As seen in FIGS. 1 to 6, support assembly 10 further includes an optional
padded yoke 30 which
includes a forward opening arch 31 and which extends forward from a top of the
substantially
horizontal support member 11. The padded yoke 30 provides neck and shoulder
support for the
mounting apparatus when it is being worn by a user 50 (shown in FIG. 3). In
some embodiments
it is contemplated that the padded yoke 30 and horizontal support member 11
are a single unitary
component while in other embodiments it is contemplated that these two
components can be
separate components suitably attached together, among other arrangements that
will be readily
appreciated by the skilled person.
In embodiments where the padded yoke 30 is present, padded yoke 30 provides a
front surface for
front attachment points 14. In a similar manner to rear attachment points 15,
there may be any
number of front attachment points 14 equal to or greater than one. Front
attachment points 14 may
also be any suitable form of attachment (although depicted in one embodiments
as the same
grommeted holes as rear attachment points 15) and it will be readily
appreciated that front
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attachment points 14 do not have to be the same type of attachment means as
rear attachment
points 15. In embodiments where the padded yoke 30 has been omitted, front
attachment points
14 may be located on the front surface of the horizontal support member 11.
In this embodiment, it is contemplated that front attachment points 14 and
rear attachment points
15 provide receiving elements for pairs of strap attachment means 21/22 used
by each strap 20. It
is contemplated that each strap 20 has a first strap attachment means 21 at a
first end of the strap
and a second strap attachment means 22 at a second end of the strap 20. First
attachment means
21 and second attachment means 22 do not need to be the same type of
attachment means; the
strap attachment means 21/22 merely need to correspond to the attachment point
14/15 to which
they are intended to attach. In some embodiments, it is contemplated that
strap attachment means
21/22 are stitches that affix the strap 20 to the underlying surface. In other
embodiments, it is
contemplated that strap attachment means 21/22 can be cooperating Velcro
components or a
hook adapted to be received in a corresponding grommeted hole, as seen in FIG.
1.
As can be seen in FIG. 1, in this embodiment support assembly 10 further
includes an optionally
accessory pocket 80 that is secured to padded yoke 30. As discussed herein, in
some embodiments
it is contemplated that the accessory pocket further includes a suitable power
cable that runs
between the pocket and the solar panel so that a device may be charged while
it is being
simultaneously stored in the pocket.
FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 depict a mounting apparatus mounted to a chair 40. In
this embodiment it
is contemplated that the mounting place attachment means 13 are secured around
the crossbar of
the back of the chair 40 while mounted to a chair 40. The mounting place
attachment means may
be secured to any suitable element by any suitable attachment means. Although
depicted as resting
behind the back of the chair 40 in this embodiment, it is contemplated that
the support assembly
10 may also rest in front of the back of the chair 40 depending on the shape
of the chair and the
user's preference. As such, mounting place attachment means 13 can also be
located on at least
one of the front surface of horizontal support member 11, the rear surface of
horizontal support
member 11 and the front or rear surfaces of the downwardly projecting element
12 of the horizontal
support member 11 as required by the particular end user application.
Similarly, it is contemplated
that the either the front surface of horizontal support member 11 and/or
downwardly projecting
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element 12 can abut the mounting surface or the rear surface of horizontal
support member 11
and/or downwardly projecting element 12 can abut the mounting surface,
depending on the needs
of the particular end user application.
When mounted to a chair, it is contemplated that straps 20 are each secured to
a respective rear
attachment point 15 at a first end and are secured to a lower part of the
mounting place at a second
end. In FIGS. 2, 5, and 6, each strap 20 is depicted as hooking into a rear
attachment point 15
(depicted as a grommeted hole) at a first end and hooking onto the bottom of
the chair 40 at a
second end. Although two straps 20 are depicted, it is contemplated that
mounting apparatus may
be mounted using only one, or more than two straps 20 as the case may be.
Straps 20 may also be of adjustable lengths to accommodate different mounting
place shapes and
sizes or different wearing preferences. Adjustable straps may be elasticized
or employ strap
adjustment buckles or any other suitable means of adjustment. Additionally,
straps 20 may be
configured to attach to a second attachment means which is better suited for
the mounting place.
For example, a strap 20 may attach to attachment points 14/15 with buckles,
one of which may
then buckle into a hook attachment when mounting to a mounting place.
FIG. 3 depicts a user 50 wearing the mounting apparatus. While being worn, the
padded yoke 30
includes a forward opening arch 31 that fits around the neck of the user 50
and the support
assembly 10 projects slightly down the upper back of the user 50 between the
shoulder blades and
the substantially horizontal support member 11 is generally aligned with the
shoulders of the user
50.
FIG. 3 also depicts two straps 20 which wrap around each of the arms of the
user 50. The straps
20 may connect to a front attachment point 14 and a rear attachment point 15
which are close to
the same horizontal side (i.e., both on left or right) of the substantially
horizontal support member
11 or may connect to attachment points 14/15 which are on opposite sides
(e.g., a strap 20 connects
to a front attachment point 14 above the right arm of the user 50 and crosses
across the back of the
user 50 to a rear attachment point 15 on the left). It is also contemplated
that a single strap 20
(worn diagonally across the chest of the user 50) could be employed. It is
further contemplated
that more than two straps 20 could be used and potentially worn across the
chest and around the
arms, among other arrangements that will be readily appreciated by the skilled
person.
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Umbrella
FIGS. 4 and 5 depict an embodiment of the present mounting apparatus that
further includes a
retractable umbrella 60. Umbrella 60 comprises a canopy 61 and a plurality of
canopy supports
which, in the depicted embodiments, are a plurality of curved ribs 62. Canopy
61 may be secured
to the plurality of curved ribs 62 by any suitable means that would be known
to one skilled in the
art. Such means may include sewing, fasteners, or mechanical engagement.
Curved ribs 62 provide
a support frame for canopy 61.
It is contemplated that canopy 61 may be made from any suitable waterproof,
water-resistant,
opaque, and/or ultraviolet blocking material that is known to those skilled in
the art. Examples of
suitable canopy 61 materials generally include fabrics or flexible plastics,
such as vinyl, coated
nylon or polyester, or any variety of specially formulated hybrid material.
The canopy can be a
single piece which is secured to the curved ribs 62 at various points to form
the desired shape or
may be separate panels which are secured between each pair of adjacent curved
ribs 62.
Similarly, the curved ribs 62 may be made from any material which is suitably
flexible, strong,
and resilient. Generally, materials which provide increased resistance to
wind, rust, and/or
corrosion are preferred. Potential materials include fiberglass, stainless
steel, aluminum, titanium,
carbon fiber, graphite, or any other plastics or metals known to those skilled
in the art.
The number of curved ribs 62 depicted in the figures should not be considered
limiting. Generally,
any number of curved ribs 62 which can provide a suitable canopy structure can
be used without
departing from the scope of the invention.
It is contemplated that the plurality of curved ribs 62 can be extended from a
collapsed position to
an extended position using pivot assemblies 63 secured at horizontally
opposite sides of the
substantially horizontal support member 11. Generally, the curved ribs 62 can
be extended by
pulling the front curved rib 62 forward (since the canopy 61 will pull all
subsequent curved ribs to
follow) and can be collapsed by pushing the front curved rib 62 backward about
the pivot
assemblies' 63 rotational axis (since the front curved rib 62 will collide
with the remaining curved
ribs 62 and push all curved ribs 62 to the collapsed position). The front
curved rib 62 may further
provide one or more attached straps or handles for easier pulling.
CA 3019033 2018-09-28
=
Pivot assemblies 63 may each comprise one curved rib connector for each curved
rib 62 with an
insertion slot for an end of curved ribs 62. In some embodiment, some curved
ribs 62 may not
connect to the pivot assemblies 63 and may only be embedded in the canopy 61
to provide
additional frame definition. Curved rib connectors may rotate around a central
shaft enclosed
between a pair of stop members. In this way, each curved rib 62 slots into a
corresponding curved
rib connector in each pivot assembly 63 and may freely rotate around the
central shaft while the
stop members keep the curved rib connectors from coming off the central
shafts. The curved ribs
62 may be retained in the curved rib connector slots using any means known to
one skilled in the
art, such as crimping, gluing, welding, or other suitable foi
____________________ ins of mechanical engagement. All
components of the pivot assemblies 63 may be made from plastic or any other
suitable material.
Pivot assemblies 63 may further include a locking mechanism to retain the
umbrella 60 in an
extended or collapsed position to prevent unintended pivoting of the curved
ribs 62. Locking may
also be implemented by spring loading the pivot assemblies 63 in one position
(i.e., collapsed or
extended) and locking into the other position (returning the pivot assemblies
63 to the other
position when the lock is released).
FIG. 5 depicts an embodiment, wherein a solar panel 70 is secured to the
canopy 61 on an exterior
facing side of the umbrella 60. In this embodiment, it is contemplated that
solar panel 70 is housed
in a protective enclosure and is pivotably secured to a middle portion of one
of the curved ribs 62.
Solar panel 70 may provide power to a connected electronic device via a cable
which extends
around an edge of the canopy 61 or through a hole in the canopy 61. In
embodiments where
umbrella 60 is intended to be waterproof or water-resistant, the cable
preferably uses a waterproof
seal around the hole in the canopy 61 (if a hole is used to pass the cable
through the canopy 61
rather than around the canopy 61). In some embodiments, it is contemplated
that a cable extends
between a pocket and solar panel 70, so that a device carried in the pocket
can be recharged by
power collected by solar panel 70.
Solar Panel without Umbrella
FIG. 6 depicts yet another embodiment, wherein a solar panel 70 is attached to
the mounting
apparatus without an umbrella 60. Solar panel 70 may connect to support
assembly 10 via a first
support arm 71 which connects to a first side of substantially horizontal
support member II and a
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second support arm 72 which connects to a second side of the substantially
horizontal support
member 11. wherein the first side of substantially horizontal support member
11 and the second
side of substantially horizontal support member 11 are horizontally opposite
to each other. Support
arms 71/72 may further connect to pivot assemblies, similar to those employed
by umbrella 60,
such that the solar panel 70 may rotate around support assembly 10 to optimal
angles relative to
the sun.
In addition to the embodiments discussed above, it is contemplated that an
antenna could be
attached to the mounting apparatus instead of, or in addition to, any of the
above articles objects.
An antenna can be mounted to the support assembly 10 by any suitable means and
may further
include a pivot assembly (similar to those described above) to allow
reorienting. It is contemplated
that the antenna could be connected to any compatible electronic device to
provide improved
reception.
Finally, as discussed above it is contemplated that one or more pockets could
be mounted to
support assembly 10 by any suitable means. Such pocket may provide a user with
a convenient
storage location for electronic devices connected to a solar panel or an
antenna. Pockets could also
be used for cup holders or any other storage needs of a user.
The embodiments described herein are intended to be illustrative of the
present compositions; they
are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various
modifications and changes
which are consistent with the description, and which are readily apparent to
the person of skill in
the art, are intended to be included. The appended claims should not be
limited by the specific
embodiments set forth in the examples and should be given the broadest
interpretation consistent
with the description.
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