This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202421767043.8, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on Jul. 24, 2024, titled “BATHROOM STOOL”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the technical field of seating furniture, and in particular, relate to a bathroom stool.
During showering in the bathroom, the floor often becomes slippery due to water accumulation, which may lead to slipping or falling accidents. This is particularly dangerous for the elderly and children. To address this issue, people often choose to place a bathroom stool in the bathroom and sit on the stool while showering, thereby reducing the risk of falling down.
In a conventional detachable bathroom stool, stool legs are typically connected to a seat board via screws, and thus tools like a screwdriver are needed for installation.
In view of the above problem, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bathroom stool, which not only facilitates assembly and disassembly of the stool but also ensures the stability of connection between the stool legs and the seat board.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bathroom stool. The bathroom stool includes a seat board, and a plurality of support legs. A plurality of first slots are defined in a bottom edge of the seat board, and a top end of each of the plurality of support legs is inserted into one first slot; a first engagement hole is defined in a side wall of the first slot; and a first through hole is defined in a side wall of the top end of the support leg, and a first compression elastic tab is disposed inside the support leg, a first protrusion being securely arranged on a side of the first compression elastic tab, the first protrusion protruding, from the first through hole, out of the side wall of the support leg; wherein the first protrusion is configured to: during a process that the top end of the support leg is inserted into the first slot, tightly press the first compression elastic tab under pressing by an inner wall of the first slot and retract into the first through hole; and the first protrusion is further configured to, in response to full insertion of the support leg into the first slot, extend out of the first through hole and be engaged in the first engagement hole under a restoration force of the first compression elastic tab.
In some embodiments, the first compression elastic tab is bent to form a first segment and a second segment that define an angle therebetween, wherein a free end of the first segment and a free end of the second segment are respectively abutted against two opposite sides of the support leg, and the first protrusion is securely arranged on a side of the first segment facing away from the second segment; wherein the first segment is configured to be further bent in response to the first protrusion being pressed by the inner wall of the first slot, wherein an angle between the first segment and the second segment decreases.
In some embodiments, a guide inclined surface is arranged at a position on the inner wall of the first slot at an opening and under the first engagement hole, wherein a wall thickness of the first slot at the guide inclined surface progressively increases inward from the opening, and the guide inclined surface is configured to progressively increase a force applied to the first protrusion in the course of inserting the support leg into the first slot.
In some embodiments, a press portion is extended along a depth direction on an inner side wall of the first slot, wherein the press portion is configured to clamp the top end of the support leg after the support leg is inserted into the first slot.
In some embodiments, the support leg includes a sleeve and a telescopic rod, wherein a top end of the sleeve is inserted into the first slot, and the first compression elastic tab is arranged inside the sleeve; wherein a first limit portion and a second limit portion are respectively extended on a side wall of the sleeve and a side wall of the telescopic rod, and the telescopic rod is height-adjustably inserted into the sleeve from a bottom end of the sleeve, wherein the first limit portion and the second limit portion are engaged with each other to guide and limit the telescopic rod.
In some embodiments, a plurality of second engagement holes are defined in the sleeve along an extension direction thereof, and a second through hole is defined in the side wall of the telescopic rod, and a second compression elastic tab is arranged inside the telescopic rod, wherein a second protrusion is securely arranged on a side of the second compression elastic tab, the second protrusion protruding, from the second through hole, out of the side wall of the telescopic rod; wherein engagement between the second protrusion and each of the second engagement holes is consistent with engagement between the first protrusion and the first engagement hole.
In some embodiments, a second slot is defined in a side surface of the seat board, wherein a third engagement hole is defined in a side wall of the second slot; the bathroom stool further includes an auxiliary support member, wherein the auxiliary support member comprise an armrest and/or a backrest; and the auxiliary support member has a bracket free end extending along a horizontal direction at a bottom of the auxiliary support member, wherein a through hole is defined in a side wall of the bracket free end, and a third compression elastic tab is arranged inside the bracket free end, a third protrusion is securely arranged on a side of the third compression elastic tab, the third protrusion protruding, from the third through hole, out of the side wall of the bracket free end; wherein engagement between the third protrusion and the third engagement hole is consistent with engagement between the first protrusion and the first engagement hole.
In some embodiments, a connection plate is extended downward from an edge of the seat board, wherein an inverted triangular catch block is arranged on an inner wall of the connection plate; and the bathroom stool further includes an item accommodation rack, wherein a hook is arranged on a side of the item accommodation rack, and the hook extends from a bottom of the connection plate to engage with the inverted triangular catch block, such that the item accommodation rack and the hook are engaged to be clamped and secured to the connection plate.
In some embodiments, the bathroom stool further includes a reinforcement bracket, wherein the reinforcement bracket is detachably connected between the plurality of support legs to tension the plurality of support legs against each other.
In some embodiments, the reinforcement bracket includes a plurality of reinforcement rods, wherein each of the plurality of reinforcement rods is connected between two support legs, and the plurality of reinforcement rods are intersected with each other and are detachably connected at an intersection.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a bathroom stool featuring a detachable design between the seat board and the support legs, such that space requirements for packaging and transportation are reduced. After the seat board and the support legs are delivered to users in a disassembled form, the users have to manually assemble the seat board and the support legs. To enhance product competitiveness and simplify the assembly process for the users, the present disclosure adopts a plug-in connection structure between the seat board and the support legs. Considering that plug-in structure may loosen over time, the present disclosure addresses the issue by equipping the support legs with elastically retractable first protrusions that are engaged with the first engagement holes in the side walls of the first slots. This design prevents the support legs from loosening or detaching after extended use. Furthermore, the first protrusions are secured relative to the first compression elastic tab. This configuration enables the first protrusions to retract and automatically reset with no need of limiting the first compression elastic tab inside the support legs. In this way, the internal structure of the support legs is simplified, reducing production costs and assembly complexity.
The above description only summarizes the technical solutions of the present disclosure. Specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described hereinafter to better and clearer understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, to practice the technical solutions based on the disclosure of the specification, and to make the above and other objectives, features and advantages of the present disclosure more apparent and understandable.
By reading the detailed description of preferred embodiments hereinafter, various other advantages and beneficial effects become clear and apparent for persons of ordinary skill in the art. The accompanying drawings are merely for illustrating the preferred embodiments, but shall not be construed as limiting the present disclosure. In all the accompanying drawings, like reference numerals denote like parts. In the drawings:
Reference numerals in the embodiments and denotations thereof:
The embodiments containing the technical solutions of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments hereinafter are only used to clearly describe the technical solutions of the present disclosure. Therefore, these embodiments are only used as examples, but are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present disclosure.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure pertains. The terms used herein in the specification of present disclosure are only intended to illustrate the specific embodiments of the present disclosure, instead of limiting the present disclosure. The terms “comprise,” “include,” and any variations thereof in the specification, claims, and the description of the drawings of the present disclosure are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion.
In the description of the present disclosure, the terms “first,” “second,” and the like are only used for distinguishing different objects, but shall not be understood as indication or implication of relative importance or implicit indication of the number of the specific technical features, the specific sequence or priorities. In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “multiple” or “a plurality of” signifies at least two, unless otherwise specified.
The terms “example” and “embodiment” in this specification signify that the specific characteristic, structures or features described with reference to the embodiments may be covered in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. This term, when appearing in various parts of the specification, neither indicates the same embodiment, nor indicates an independent or optional embodiment that is exclusive of the other embodiments. A person skilled in the art would implicitly or explicitly understand that the embodiments described in this specification may be incorporated with other embodiments.
In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “and/or” is merely an association relationship for describing associated objects, which represents that there may exist three types of relationships. For example, the phrase “A and/or B” may indicate (A), (B), or (A and B). In addition, the forward-slash symbol “/” generally represents an “or” relationship between associated objects before and after the symbol.
In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, the term “multiple” or “a plurality of” signifies more than two (including two), unless otherwise specified. Likewise, the term “a plurality of groups” or “multiple groups” signifies more than two groups (including two groups), and the term “a plurality of pieces” or “multiple pieces” signifies more than two pieces (including two pieces).
In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the terms “central,” “transversal,” “longitudinal,” “length,” “width,” “thickness,” “upper,” “lower,” “front,” “rear,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” “circumferential,” and the like indicate orientations and position relationships which are based on the illustrations in the accompanying drawings, and these terms are merely for ease and brevity of the description, instead of indicating or implying that the devices or elements shall have a particular orientation and shall be structured and operated based on the particular orientation. Accordingly, these terms shall not be construed as limiting the present disclosure.
In the description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should be noted that unless otherwise specified and defined, the terms “mounted,” “coupled,” “connected,” “secured,” and derivative forms thereof shall be understood in a broad sense, which, for example, may be understood as secured connection, detachable connection or integral connection; may be understood as mechanical connection or electrical connection, or understood as direct connection, indirect connection via an intermediate medium, or communication between the interiors of two elements or interactions between two elements. Persons of ordinary skill in the art may understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present disclosure according to the actual circumstances and contexts.
In response to the current issue of complicated assembly and disassembly between the seat board and the support legs of the bathroom stool, and in order to facilitate easy packaging and transportation of the stool while enabling users to assemble the stool effortlessly, the present disclosure proposes a bathroom stool where a seat board and support legs are first installed via plug-in connection, eliminating the need for additional tools and making the assembly process simple and easy.
Furthermore, considering that plug-in structure may become loose and lack stability, elastic protrusions have been designed on the support legs. The contraction of the protrusions allows the support legs to be smoothly inserted into the slots in the seat board. The automatic rebound of the protrusions enables the protrusions to be engaged with the engagement holes in the side wall of the slots, thereby securely fastening the support legs in the slots. When disassembling the support legs, the user only needs to press the protrusions with their fingers to compress the protrusions, and then pull the support legs out of the slots. Neither installation nor disassembly requires any additional tool, and thus the process is simple and convenient.
During the structural design of the elastic contraction of the protrusion, the inventors consider using a compression spring to achieve the elastic compression. However, since the compression spring needs to be arranged inside the support leg and needs to be mounted on a limit post to ensure the correct direction of the force, this introduces more detailed requirements for the internal structure and assembly of the support leg. This may inevitably increase the production cost and assembly difficulty of the support leg.
To address this, the present disclosure uses a compression elastic tab to achieve the contraction and automatic rebound of the protrusion. Specifically, the compression elastic tab is arranged inside the support leg, and the protrusion is securely arranged on a side of the compression elastic tab. The compression elastic tab provides an outward force to the protrusion, such that the protrusion extends out of the through-hole in the side wall of the support leg and protrudes from the side wall of the support leg in its default state. Moreover, in the case that the protrusion is compressed by the inner wall of the slot, the protrusion may not fully retract into the interior of the support leg, and instead, the protrusion may retract into the through-hole in the side wall of the support leg. The inner wall of the through-hole may limit the movement of the protrusion, and prevents the protrusion from shifting. Correspondingly, the compression elastic tab secured relative to the protrusion may not move. Therefore, the compression elastic tab arranged inside the support leg does not require a limit structure to ensure its precise positioning, such that it is ensured that the compression elastic tab provides an accurately directed force to the protrusion. This also simplifies the internal structure of the support leg, and reduces the production costs and assembly difficulty.
First referring to
Subsequently, actions of the first protrusion 123 and the first compression elastic tab 122 in the process of inserting the top end of the support leg 120 into the first slot 111 are described.
First referring to
Subsequently referring to
Opposite or reverse operations are performed for the disassembly of the support leg 120. A finger of one hand is inserted into the first engagement hole 112 to press the first protrusion 123 into the first through hole 121, while the other hand pulls the support leg 120 out of the first slot 111, thereby completing the disassembly of the support leg 120.
The first protrusion 123, as illustrated in
In summary, the embodiments of the present disclosure provide the bathroom stool 100 featuring the detachable design between the seat board 110 and the support legs 120, such that space requirements for packaging and transportation are reduced. After the seat board 110 and the support legs 120 are delivered to users in a disassembled form, the users have to manually assemble the seat board and the support legs. To enhance product competitiveness and simplify the assembly process for the users, the present disclosure adopts a plug-in connection structure between the seat board 110 and the support legs 120. Considering that plug-in structure may loosen overtime, the present disclosure addresses the issue by equipping the support leg 120 with an elastically retractable first protrusion 123 that is engaged with the first engagement hole 112 in the side wall of the first slot 111. This design prevents the support leg 120 from loosening or detaching after extended use. Furthermore, the first protrusion 123 is secured relative to the first compression elastic tab 122. This configuration enables the first protrusion 123 to retract and automatically reset with no need of limiting the first compression elastic tab 122 inside the support leg 120. In this way, the internal structure of the support leg 120 is simplified, reducing production costs and assembly complexity.
Referring to
In the embodiments, the first compression elastic tab 122 is integrally bent to form the first segment 1221 and the second segment 1222 that define an angle therebetween. The free end of the first segment 1221 is in contact with the inner wall of the support leg 120 on the side facing toward the first through hole 121, and the free end of the second segment 1222 is in contact with the inner wall of the support leg 120 on the side where the first through hole 121 is defined. This configuration allows the elastic force at the bend of the first compression elastic tab 122 to provide a restoration force to the first protrusion 123 on the first segment 1221.
As illustrated in
To further facilitate effortless and smooth insertion of the top end of the support leg 120 into the first slot 111, the present disclosure further proposes an embodiment. Specifically, referring to
By designing a guide inclined surface 113 with a wall thickness that progressively increases from the notch of the first slot 111 inward, the top end of the support leg 120 may be easily inserted into the first slot 111. At the notch, a smaller wall thickness allows the first protrusion 123 to enter smoothly without significant collisions or interference. As the insertion goes deeper, the guide inclined surface 113 whose wall thickness progressively increases presses the first protrusion 123 and progressively increases the force applied on the first protrusion 123, such that the first protrusion 123 is progressively pushed back into the first through hole 121. This design ensures that the resistance encountered during the insertion of the support leg 120 progressively increases. Consequently, the user may progressively increase the push force to the support leg 120 during the insertion process, such that the insertion process is smooth, and any sudden increase in resistance that may disrupt the insertion action is prevented.
To further enhance the stability of the connection between the support leg 120 and the seat board 110, the present disclosure also proposes an alternative embodiment. For details, reference may be made to
Specifically, the press portion 114 may take the form of a plurality of strip-shaped protrusions arranged circumferentially along the inner wall of the first slot 111, as illustrated in
To meet user requirements for adjustable heights of the bathroom stool, the present disclosure further incorporates a height-adjustable design for the support leg 120. Referring to
In the specific embodiments illustrated in
For securing of the telescopic rod 125 at a desired height, the present disclosure further proposes an embodiment. As illustrated in
In the case that the second protrusion 1254 is engaged with different second engagement holes 1242, the telescopic rod 125 may be secured at the corresponding insertion position, such that the support leg 120 is maintained at a desired height to meet the user's need for different heights of the bathroom stool 100.
In a further embodiment, an auxiliary support member may be installed to enhance the user experience. Referring to
For convenience during bathing, in order to place and retrieve toiletries easily, the present disclosure also proposes an embodiment. Referring to
It should be noted that during the process of the hook 141 extending into the bottom of the connection plate 117, an inclined surface of the inverted triangular catch block 1171 press the hook 141 to cause the hook 141 to be deformed. Once fully inserted, the hook 141 rebounds and is engaged with a top surface of the inverted triangular catch block 1171. Simultaneously, a side of the item accommodation rack 140 wherein the hook 141 is arranged may be in abutment against an outer surface of the connection plate 117. Engagement between the hook 141 and the top surface of the inverted triangular catch block 1171, along with abutment between the item accommodation rack 140 and the outer surface of the connection plate 117, ensures that the item accommodation rack 140 is securely held in place on the connection plate 117. The item accommodation rack 140 may also be packaged and transported separately from the seat board 110, and users can easily install the item accommodation rack 140 onto the seat board 110.
To further enhance the support strength of the bathroom stool 100, the present disclosure also proposes a reinforced design for the support legs. Specifically, referring to
In the specific embodiments as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In addition to the aforementioned configuration, the reinforcement bracket 150 may also adopt an annular structure defined by a plurality of rods in a surrounding pattern. This arrangement surrounds an outer circumference of the plurality of support legs 120 to tightly press and secure the plurality of support legs 120, such that the support legs 120 are prevented from bending or even breaking.
To enhance the comfort of sitting on the bathroom stool 100, the present disclosure further proposes an embodiment. Specifically, referring to
To ensure the support strength, the seat board body 118 is typically made of rigid plastic or a metal material, while the cushion 119 is made of a soft rubber material to provide cushioning for hips of the users, which ensures a comfortable seating experience.
It should be finally noted that the above-described embodiments are merely for illustration of the present disclosure, but are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Although the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to these embodiments, a person skilled in the art may also make various modifications to the technical solutions disclosed in the embodiments, or make equivalent replacements to a part of or all technical features contained therein. Such modifications or replacement, made without departing from the principles of the present disclosure, shall fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Especially, various technical features mentioned in various embodiments may be combined in any fashion as long as there is no structural conflict.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202421767043.8 | Jul 2024 | CN | national |
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