Patent Application
20160367034
The embodiments disclosed herein relate to aquatic seating, and, in particular, to an aquatic seat assembly for supporting a user.
The following paragraphs are not an admission that anything discussed in them is prior art or part of the knowledge of persons skilled in the art.
In the field of water recreation, it may be desirable for a user to stay in or near the water while being supported by a seat to rest on the seat. For example, swim up bars at pools have seats affixed to the pool bottom. For example, the seat in a conventional swim up bar may be a pedestal or a single leg stool. The pedestal seats of the pool swim up bar are not adjustable in height.
It may not be practical, in open water dock environments or with deep pools, to support to have a pedestal seat. In some cases, it may be desirable to not have the seat permanently affixed to the bottom.
Platforms for aiding a swimmer to get in and out of a boat are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,747 ('747). As the transitioning platform described in '747 is for a boat, the transitioning platform relies on a buoyancy balloon which may be cumbersome and block entry onto the platform. Further, the height of the transitioning platform would be dependent on the water level.
U.S. Pat. No. D468,116 ('116) shows ornamental design for a table and stools for a swimming pool. The design shows a three separate piece set on the side of a pool where the two stools are set to face the table. The table has an optional umbrella. The stools and table are fixed in height as the design is for use in pools where the water level would remain generally consistent. The user is not given an option of how high to have the seat relative to the water level. Also, pools may have the water level at or near the ledge of the pool. Where the water level of the pool is the same as the ledge, the table may be undesirably below the surface of the water, while the seats may be too far below the surface of the water to be desirable for sitting. The way that the table and pool are pivotably attached to the pool deck and are flipped up for storage may obstruct the pool deck.
According to some embodiments, there is an aquatic seat assembly including a seat for supporting a user, a seat support for attaching to and supporting the seat, a wall support including a plurality of wall attachments spaced laterally apart for attaching to a surface of the wall, and an adjustment mechanism for adjustably attaching the wall support to the seat support such that the height of the seat relative to the wall can be raised or lowered.
According to some embodiments, there is an aquatic seat assembly including a seat for supporting a user and a seat support structure for attaching the seat to a wall, the seat support structure including an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the height of the seat relative to the wall such that the seat can be raised or lowered.
In some embodiments, the seat support structure includes a seat support for attaching to and supporting the seat and a wall support for attaching to the wall. The adjustment mechanism adjustably attaches the wall support to the seat support such that the height of the seat may be adjusted by the user.
In some embodiments, the seat is offset from the wall by an offset distance sized to fit legs of the user.
In some embodiments, the wall support includes a plurality of upper wall attachments for attaching to an upper surface of the wall.
In some embodiments, the wall support includes a lower wall support having a plate for resting on a side surface of the wall.
In some embodiments, the plurality of upper wall attachments are spaced apart at a lateral distance to resist torsion of the upper wall attachments.
In some embodiments, the lateral distance is greater than a width of the seat such that the upper wall attachments extend laterally beyond the side of the seat.
In some embodiments, each of the plurality of upper wall attachments includes an attachment tab for slidably engaging with an upper support bracket, wherein the upper support bracket is affixed to the upper surface of the wall.
In some embodiments, the adjustment mechanism includes at least one pin and the wall support includes a plurality of slots, wherein the pin matingly engages with the slot to keep the seat in place.
In some embodiments, the wall support includes a connecting member having the slots.
In some embodiments, the slots in the connecting member are used to attach the connecting member to an upper wall support and a lower wall support.
In some embodiments, the connecting member includes a lock to stop the adjustment mechanism from separating from the wall support.
In some embodiments, the seat support structure is made of any one or more of a non-corroding material, a non-corroding coated material, or a composite plastic.
In some embodiments, the aquatic seat assembly further includes a foot rest below the seat for supporting feet of the user.
In some embodiments, the aquatic seat assembly further includes a cup holder attached to the wall support for holding an accessory.
In some embodiments, the height of the seat may be adjusted to a varying water level.
In some embodiments, the wall is a dock and the water is a body of water such as a lake, ocean, or a river.
According to some embodiments, there is a method for installing an aquatic seat to a wall. The method includes affixing at least one upper support bracket to an upper surface of the wall, inserting an attachment tab on an upper support of the aquatic seat assembly into the attachment bracket, and resting a lower attachment on a side surface of the fixed wall.
According to some embodiments, there is a method for adjusting the height of an aquatic seat assembly. The method includes lifting a seat support and removing a pin from a first slot, raising or lowering the seat support to a second slot, and inserting the pin into the second slot and lowering the seat support.
Other aspects and features will become apparent, to those ordinarily skilled in the art, upon review of the following description of some exemplary embodiments.
The drawings included herewith are for illustrating various examples of articles, methods, and apparatuses of the present specification. In the drawings:
Various apparatuses or processes will be described below to provide an example of each claimed embodiment. No embodiment described below limits any claimed embodiment and any claimed embodiment may cover processes or apparatuses that differ from those described below. The claimed embodiments are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all of the features of any one apparatus or process described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. It is possible that an apparatus or process described below is not covered by any of the claimed embodiments. Any embodiment disclosed below that is not claimed in this document may be the subject matter of another protective instrument, for example, a continuing patent application, and the applicants, inventors or owners do not intend to abandon, disclaim or dedicate to the public any such embodiment by its disclosure in this document.
Referring to
The aquatic seat assembly 10 is configured to support a user 14 sitting on the aquatic seat assembly 10. The user 14 may sit facing the wall 12 (as shown in
The aquatic seat assembly 10 includes a seat 16 for supporting the user 14 and a seat support structure 18 for attaching the seat 16 to the wall 12. The seat 16 may be made of a solid material able to accommodate the posterior of the user 14. In an embodiment, the seat 16 is made of a padded soft comfortable material.
The seat support structure 18 may be made of, or coated in, a non-corroding material such as stainless steel, a corrosive resistant paint, or a composite plastic. The seat support structure 18 may resist destruction in aquatic environments (e.g. caused by water, salt, and/or organic materials).
The seat support structure 18 includes a seat support 20 for attaching to the aquatic seat assembly 10. The seat support structure 18 also includes a wall support 22 for attaching to the wall 12. The seat 16 may be laterally offset from the wall 12 by an offset distance B. The offset distance B between the wall 12 and the seat 16 may be sized to fit legs 15 of the user 14 (e.g. the bent legs 15 as shown in
The wall support 22 includes an upper wall support 26, a lower wall support 28 and a connecting member 30. The upper wall support 26 is attached at a first end 32 to the upper surface 34 of the wall 12. The upper wall support 26 is attached at a second end 36 to the connecting member 30. In an embodiment, the connecting member 30 may be a U column or box column.
The lower wall support 28 is attached at a first end 38 to the side surface 40 of the wall 12. The lower wall support 28 is attached at a second end 42 to the connecting member 30. The lower wall support 28 includes a plate, having a larger surface area, at the first end 38 for resting on the side surface 40 of the wall 12.
The upper wall support 26 and/or the lower wall support 28 may have a plurality of contact points with the fixed wall. For example, the upper wall support 26 may contact the wall 12 at multiple contact points on the upper surface 34 of the wall 12.
The seat support 20 includes an adjustment mechanism 24 for adjustably attaching to the wall support 22. In an embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 24 is attached to the wall support 22 such that the height of the seat support 20 may be adjusted by the user 14. In an alternative embodiment, the wall support 22 may include the adjustment mechanism 24 such that the connecting member 30 may move up and down to vary the height of the seat 30.
The adjustability of the adjustment mechanism 24 may accommodate varying water levels as desired by the user 14. In some cases, it may be desirable for the seat 16 to be just below the surface of water 44. In some cases, the seat 16 is adjusted to be just above the surface of the water 44. In other cases, the seat 16 is adjusted to be just below the surface of the water 44.
Adjusting may be advantageous where the water level 44 changes, for example with the tide, the season, or caused by the weather (e.g. wind and waves). Further, adjusting the height of the seat 16 may also allow for different size users. Also, while transitioning platforms are above water (so the user in transition remains dry) and swim up seats are designed to be below the surface of the water, an adjustable seat 16 height may be changed based on the desired location of the particular user 14.
The adjusted seat 16 may accommodate differences in dock and pool designs or differences in user preferences. As the buoyancy of the user 14 affects the height of the seat 16, if the user 14 is small (e.g. a child) the height of the seat 16 may be adjusted upward to match the body size and buoyancy of the user 14. Where the user 14 is larger, the seat 16 can be positioned lower in the water 44. Further, depending on the temperature of the water 44, the temperature of the air, and the comfort level of the user 14, the height of the seat 16 can be adjusted such that the user 14 is at a desired comfort range. On hot days, the user 14 may want to be lower in cool water 44. Where the water 44 is cold, the user 14 may want to be above the surface of the water 44 with only their feet 13 and legs 15 in the water 44. Finding this correct and desirable position is possible with the height adjustable seat 16.
In an embodiment, the adjustment mechanism 24 includes at least one attachment such as a pin 45 and the wall support 22 includes a plurality of holes or slots 47. The pin 45 matingly engages with the slot 47 to keep the seat support 20 in place. The pin 45 may have a curled tab to cause the engagement with the seat support 20. The adjustment mechanism 24 also includes a stop 49 that rests on the connecting member 30 from the weight of the seat support structure 18 and the seat 16, and when in use, the weight of the user 14. The adjustment mechanism 24 may have other configurations, as may be known in the art.
The stop 49 may include one or more pins, as shown. In a variant embodiment, the stop 49 includes one or more folded flanges on the wall side of the adjustment mechanism 24, such that the adjustment mechanism 24 and stop 49 are formed from a single piece.
To adjust the height of the seat 16 (e.g. along direction A of
To set the height of the seat 16, the process is reversed. The pin 45 is inserted into the new slot 47, the seat support structure 18 is pivoted away from the wall support 22 and the stop 49 rests against the connecting member 30. The seat support structure 18 is then lowered such that the pin 45 engages with the slot 47. The seat 16 is then ready to support the user 14.
In an embodiment, the connecting member 30 may be a U column or box column having the slots 47. In an embodiment, the slots 47 are also used to attach to the upper wall support 26 and the lower wall support 28.
As shown in
Each of the upper wall attachments 46a, 46b includes an attachment tab 48a, 48b for slidably engaging into a gap between the upper support bracket 50a, 50b and the upper surface 34. The upper support brackets 50a, 50b are affixed to the upper surface 34 of the wall 12 by fasteners 52 (for example, screws or bolts).
In an alternative embodiment, the aquatic seat assembly 10 includes a single upper wall attachment. In an embodiment, the upper wall attachments may include a friction connection such as tabs that fit into the spaces between boards of a dock.
The aquatic seat assembly 10 may include a foot rest 54 attached to the seat support 20 and positioned below the seat 16 for supporting the feet 13 of a user 14.
The aquatic seat assembly 10 may include a cup holder 56 for holding an accessory such as a cup (not shown). The cup holder 56 is attached to the wall support 22. The cup holder 56 is sized and shaped to hold a beverage container. In an embodiment, the cup holder 56 is located between the upper wall support 26 and the wall 12. The cup holder 56 may hold other accessories such as an umbrella or the like.
The aquatic seat assembly 10 may include a lock 58 to inhibit the adjustment mechanism 24 from separating from the wall support 22. The lock 58 is attached at a bottom end of the connecting member 30. The lock 58 may be, for example, a bolt as shown.
Installing the aquatic seat, 110, includes, at 112, affixing at least one upper support bracket to an upper surface of the wall. At 114, an attachment tab on an upper support of the aquatic seat assembly is inserted into the upper support bracket. At 116, a lower attachment is rested on a side surface of the wall.
Adjusting that height of the aquatic seat, 120, includes, at 122, lifting the seat support and removing the pin from the slot. At 124, the seat support is raised or lowered to a different slot. At 126 the pin is inserted into the slot and the seat support is lowered.
Storing the aquatic seat, 130, includes tilting up the aquatic seat, at 132, removing the aquatic seat from the wall by removing the attachment tabs from the upper support bracket at 134, and leaving the upper support bracket on the wall at 136.
While the above description provides examples of one or more apparatus, methods, or systems, it will be appreciated that other apparatus, methods, or systems may be within the scope of the claims as interpreted by one of skill in the art.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/180,276 filed Jun. 16, 2015, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62180276 | Jun 2015 | US |
