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Retainer assemblyRetainer assembly description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070085407, Retainer assembly. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
PRIORITY CLAIM [0001] The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/726,856 filed on Oct. 14, 2005 for CLAMPING ASSEMBLY FOR USE WITH WHEELCHAIRS, the entire disclosure of which is fully incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present application relates generally to a retainer assembly useful for retaining items of various shapes and sizes together. More particularly, this application relates to various embodiments of removable and/or adjustable wheelchair seating assemblies and to various embodiments of retainer assemblies for use therewith. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Wheelchairs are a means of transportation for a significant portion of society. Some wheelchairs include removable and/or adjustable seating systems. The removability of BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] Wheelchairs are a means of transportation for a significant portion of society. Some wheelchairs include removable and/or adjustable seating systems. The removability of such seating systems allows a user of the wheelchair to easily assemble and disassemble the seat with the wheelchair. SUMMARY [0005] Embodiments of a retainer assembly are provided. The retainer assembly includes, for example, a bracket that partially surrounds a part or component and a latching component pivotally attached to the bracket. The latching component and frame bracket retain the part or component to a portion of the wheelchair frame when the latching component is located in the closed position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary wheelchair; [0007] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a retainer assembly; [0008] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the retainer assembly of FIG. 2; [0009] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a removable seating assembly including the retainer assembly of FIG. 2 with the latching component in the open position; [0010] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a removable seating assembly including the retainer assembly of FIG. 2 with the latching component in the closed position; [0011] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the retainer assembly of FIG. 2 being used with a cylindrical member; and [0012] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a retainer assembly according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0013] The present application relates to a retainer assembly for use in retaining assorted items of various shapes and sizes together and, in particular, to various embodiments of removable wheelchair seating assemblies and various embodiments of retainer assemblies for use therewith. The application is applicable to retainer assemblies and wheelchair seating assemblies of varying constructions. [0014] Referring to FIG. 1, a perspective view of an exemplary wheelchair 100 is shown. The wheelchair 100 has a frame 102 that includes a first side cane 104 and a second side cane 106. For the purpose of this application a frame 102 is any tubular or cylindrical (including frame components with circular, elliptical, or oval cross sections) member that defines some structural aspect of a wheelchair. The frame 102 can take a wide variety of different shapes and configurations. The frame 102 of the exemplary wheelchair illustrated in FIG. 1 is fashioned from metal, but other suitable materials such as plastic or a composite material could also be used. The wheelchair illustrated in FIG. 1 also includes a pair of wheels 110, a pair of optional leg rests 120, a pair of optional arm rests 130, a seat bottom 140 and a backrest 150. [0015] Referring now to FIG. 2, a perspective view of an exemplary retainer assembly 200 is shown. The embodiment of the retainer assembly 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 can be utilized with the exemplary wheelchair 100 shown in FIG. 1. However, it should be understood that wheelchair seating assembly 200 of this detailed description is not limited to use with the exemplary wheelchair 100 illustrated in FIG. 1. The retainer assembly 200 disclosed by this detailed description can be used with any type of wheelchair, including but not limited to, manually driven wheelchairs, motor driven wheelchairs, wheelchairs with rigid frames, wheelchairs with folding frames, scooters, rollators, and other mobility aids. In addition, the retainer assembly 200 disclosed by this detailed description can also be used for other devices apart from mobility aids. [0016] The embodiment of the retainer assembly 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 generally includes a frame attachment bracket 210 and a latching component 220. The frame attachment bracket 210 can take a variety of shapes and configurations. The frame attachment bracket 210 of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 is generally "J" shaped with a generally planar attachment portion 230 and a frame retaining portion 240 which has a generally curved shape (as shown in more detail in FIG. 3). It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the frame attachment bracket 210 is not limited to this shape and configuration and other suitable shapes and configurations could also be used in additional embodiments. Examples of additional shapes that could be used for the frame attachment bracket 210 include, but are not limited to, a planar attachment portion 230 with a frame retaining portion 240 which has the shape of a portion of a square, or a planar attachment 230 portion with a frame retaining portion 240 which has the shape of a portion of a triangle, etc. In addition, the frame attachment bracket 210 could be fashioned without a planar attachment portion 230 and could simply be shaped like a portion of a triangle, square, circle, oval, ellipse, or have an irregular shape. The frame attachment bracket 210 can have any shape or configuration which allows it to partially surround a portion of the side canes 104, 106. The frame attachment bracket 210 of the embodiment of the retainer assembly 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 is fashioned from metal, but other suitable materials such as plastic or a composite material could also be used. [0017] The embodiment of the retainer assembly 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a latching component 220. The latching component 220 can take a variety of shapes and configurations. The embodiment of the latching component 220 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes a generally arcuate latching portion 250 (as shown in more detail in FIG. 3). As with the frame attachment bracket 210, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the latching component 220 is not limited to the shape and configuration of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 and other shapes and configurations could be used. Examples of additional shapes that can be used for the latching component 220 include, but are not limited to, a portion of a square, a portion of a rectangle, a portion of a triangle, etc. The latching component 220 can have any shape or configuration which allows it to partially surround a portion of the side canes 104, 106. The latching component 220 of the embodiment of the retainer assembly 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 is fashioned from metal, but other suitable materials such as plastic or a composite material could also be used. Continue reading about Retainer assembly... Full patent description for Retainer assembly Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Retainer assembly patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Retainer assembly or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Modular furniture assembly Next Patent Application: Chair mounted back support system Industry Class: Chairs and seats ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Retainer assembly patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 1.2153 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Tyco , Unilever , Warner-lambert , 3m 174 |
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