Patent Grant
11974671
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The invention pertains to the field of furniture stabilization, specifically, a removable anti-tip device for a chair.
There is a plethora of safety seats geared towards young children. Current popular booster seats are designed to raise the child to an appropriate height to sit at the table and include seat belts designed to prevent a fidgety child from climbing out of the chair, and potentially falling while fidgeting. While booster seats have largely replaced old standbys of children sitting on pillows or stacks of books, the booster seat has created a new serious problem of backwards tipping injuries. Many adults first become aware of this danger while making a trip to the ER with their injured child. Fall injuries suffered by young children, who are too old for highchairs but are too small to sit without a booster seat in an adult chair, are the number one injury seen in emergency rooms across the United States.
The design of the booster seat enhances the backwards tipping risk to the seated child. The child seated in a booster seat on an adult chair has a higher center of gravity than an adult sitting on the same chair, and the child's feet are often positioned near the apron of the table. The apron is a continuous strip of metal or wood attached to an underside of the tabletop that helps support the table surface. The higher center of gravity of the seated child with the apron location is a potentially dangerous combination. When the seated child's feet push against or kick the apron, the chair easily tips backwards. These accidents occur quickly, and seated adults often do not have enough time to respond to prevent falls because the danger is neither recognized nor anticipated.
In particular, the seat belt for the booster seat all but guarantees that the seated child sustains a back head injury that can be life-threatening. Since the primary purpose of the booster seat is to position the child at a comfortable eating height, the child's head and neck are often well above the back of the chair, which would otherwise be protective against backwards falls. A belted child thus has no way to break a fall by falling or otherwise turning sideways, and thus the back of the head hits the floor. Again, this danger is unique to children sitting in booster seats due to the higher center of gravity of the seated child. Since adults rarely fall backwards in chairs, the height of the back of the seat is primarily designed as a back rest, thus even for adults the back of the chair is rarely taller than an average adult's shoulders.
What is needed is a chair anti-tip device that can be used with any standard dining room or bar height chair with a back rest portion and two or more legs.
What is also needed is a chair anti-tip device that can be removably installed on a chair and when not in use, can be safely left installed on the chair without creating tripping hazards.
What is finally needed is a chair anti-tip device that is portable.
In a first aspect of the invention, an anti-tip device for use with a chair is comprised a bar having a first end, a second end and a middle portion between the first end and the second end, a connector, and a first leg having a bar end and a floor end, the first leg rotatably affixed to the bar by the connector and a fastener removably affixing the bar to the chair. Rotating the leg so as to be perpendicular to the bar positions the leg in a use position and rotating the leg so as to be parallel with the bar positions the leg in a storage position.
In a second aspect of the invention, the connector is a hinge attaching the leg to the bar in a first embodiment. In a second embodiment, the leg is a tube inserted into and rotating within the connector, which is further comprised of a slot and a stop attached to the leg inside the connector, with the stop travelling within the slot so as to limit rotational travel distance of the leg within the connector.
In yet a third aspect of the invention the leg in a first embodiment is L-shaped, and in a second embodiment is a right-angle triangle. In both embodiments, the leg has a bar end affixed to the connector and a floor end positioned on a floor surface when the anti-tip device is in a use position.
In a fourth aspect of the invention, the fastener of the anti-tip device is an adjustable strap that removably secures the anti-tip device to the chair. An optional suction cup attached to a strap is also provided and is used to secure a front portion of the chair to the floor surface.
In a fifth aspect of the invention, the anti-tip device is further comprised of a second leg in space-apart relationship with the leg, and wherein the second leg is perpendicular to the bar when in the use position and parallel to the bar when in the storage position.
In a sixth aspect of the invention, the chair used with the anti-tip device has at least two chair legs, with at least one of the chair legs having a back leg portion, a stile, and optionally a stretcher between the chair legs.
In a seventh aspect of the invention, the anti-tip device is comprised of a frame having a vertical post with an upper bar and a lower bar, the upper and lower bars positioned so as to be perpendicular to the post, with two legs in spaced apart relationship rotatably attached to the upper bar. One or more fastener straps removably attach the anti-tip device to the chair.
In an eighth aspect of the invention, the anti-tip device is further comprised of a base affixed to the lower bar, the base adapted to receive a foot of the chair leg.
In a ninth aspect of the invention, the anti-tip device includes a T-bar attached to the post, wherein the T-bar is perpendicular to the post and rests against either the first chair leg or the second chair leg when in the use position. The T-bar typically is covered in a non-slip material. In one embodiment, the T-bar is additionally rotatably affixed to the post or otherwise adjustable.
The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with accompanying drawings, in which:
The following is a list of reference labels used in the drawings to label components of different embodiments of the invention, and the names of the indicated components:
A chair anti-tip device according to the invention or device 100 is shown in
In the embodiment shown in the FIGS., each bar 101214 is shown configured as a pair of opposed bars, with one bar of the pair on opposite sides of the post 16 however the bars 101214 could also be configured as a single bar mechanically affixed to one side of the post 16. In some embodiments (not shown), at least one of the bars 101214 is removably affixed to the post 16 so as to be adjustable in height along a length of the post 16 for more economical shipping, particularly for embodiments where the device 100 is sold disassembled. The frame can also be configured as a single, non-adjustable member. Each of the bars 101214 has a first end 10a 12a 14a and a second end 10b 12b 14b corresponding with left and right sides of the device 100.
A stabilizer T-bar 18 having an exterior covered at least in part by a pad 18a made of foam, rubber, or other cushioning or non-skid material positioned along at least a chair-contacting side of the T-bar 18 is adjustably connected to the post 16 by a center plate 24 formed with one or more apertures 24a into which an adjustable fastener 26 is positioned. The post 16 is further formed with a through-hole (not shown) sized and shaped to additionally receive the adjustable fastener 26 so as to allow a user to affix the plate 24 of the T-bar 18 to the post 16. In the embodiment shown in
The T-bar 18 is typically a same length as the top, middle and bottom bars 101214, however, the T-bar 18 must be at least a same length as a width measurement taken across both rear legs 46 of the chair 40 as the T-bar 18 must either rest against both rear legs 46 so has to have 2 points of contact with the T-bar 18, or alternatively rest against a spindle or stretcher 44 attaching the rear legs 46, or in the case of the chair 40 being configured with only a single rear leg 46, the T-bar 18 must have sufficient contact with the single rear leg 46 of the chair 40 to prevent the T-bar 18 from rotating. The T-bar 18 and bars 101214 must be approximately parallel with a chair back 42a for optimal anti-tip stability of the chair 40. The T-bar 18 padding 18a serves to prevent damage to the chair 40, as well as to space the device 100 further away from the rear legs 46 of the chair 40 as desired.
The through hole formed in the post 16 is typically positioned between the top bar 10 and the middle bar 12, with the top bar 10 being positioned at an uppermost end of the post 16, however in some embodiments (not shown), if the post 16 extends beyond the top bar 10, that is, if the top bar 10 is not positioned at the uppermost end of the post 16, the T-bar 18 may in fact be joined to the post 16 above the top bar 10. The bars 101214 and post 16 are typically configured as tubes with a hollow core having a square or circular cross section.
The device 100, in the representative embodiment shown in the FIGS., is further formed with two legs 20 in spaced apart relationship, rotatably connected to the top bar 10 by a connector 30 positioned on each of the first end 10a and second end 10b of the top bar 10, and similarly on each of the middle first end 12a and middle second end 12b of the middle bar 12. Each leg 20 has a bar end 20a and a floor end 20b, forming an approximately L-shaped leg for stability. A front foot 22 is positioned on a floor facing side of the floor end 20b of the leg 20. The connector 30 has a cylindrical leg receiver into which the bar end 20a of the leg 20 is positioned; the bar end 20a of the leg 20 necessarily has a circular cross section sized and shaped to fit into the connector 30 leg receiver to allow the bar end 20a of the leg 20 to rotate within the connector 30. When the legs 20 are rotated so as to be approximately parallel with the bars 101214, the device 100 when installed on the chair 40 is in a storage position, as shown in
To control rotation of the leg 20 within the connector 30, the connector 30 is further formed with a slot 32 sized and shaped to receive a stop 34, configured as a protruding screw or peg-like member attached to the bar end 20a of the leg 20 and positioned within the slot 32. The stop 34 and slot 32 prevent over rotation of the leg 20 within the connector 30 to ensure that the leg 20 in the use position is not accidentally over rotated and fails to maintain its use position. The stop 34 also prevents the bar end 20a of the leg 20 from accidentally being removed from the connector 30.
The embodiment shown in the FIGS. show a total of four connectors 30, two per leg 20, with a lower positioned connector 30 connecting the bar end 20a of the leg 20 to the middle bar 12 for further durability and strength.
The floor end 20b of the leg 20 is further formed with a foot 22 at one end typically with a threaded shank to allow a use to self-adjust the foot 22 to ensure that each leg 20 sits flush against a floor surface and to accommodate uneven surfaces. Typically, each leg 20 has one foot 22 however two or more can be used per leg 20 as desired or needed.
The bottom bar 14 in the embodiments shown in the FIGS. is formed with a base plate 36 having a non-slip surface, the base plate 36 sized and shaped to receive a chair foot or lowermost portion of the rear chair leg 46. The base plate 36 however is optional and the inventor notes that the position of the T-bar 18 may result in the lowermost portions of the rear chair legs 46 from being able to rest on the base plates 36. Adjustable straps 28 affixed to the post 16 and to the bottom bar 14 allow the user to further secure the device 100 to the chair 40, although these are also optional for use. The design of the device 100 allows use with a variety of different chair styles as shown in the FIGS. where in
For the embodiment shown in the FIGS., an uppermost positioned adjustable strap 28 is designed to go around the back 42a and stiles 42 of the chair 40, just above a rear apron of the chair 40. A middle adjustable strap 28 secures the device 100 to the rear chair legs 46, the stretcher 44 or combinations thereof. For extra security, a suction cup 50 attached to another adjustable strap 28 is attached to the stretcher 44 between a pair of front legs 48, as shown in
To use the device 100, the adjustable straps 28 are opened and the device 100 positioned so that the base plates 36 are beneath the lowermost ends of the rear chair legs 46 and the T-bar 18 rests against the rear chair legs 46 and/or the stretcher 44. If the user wants the installed position of the device 100 to maximize the anti-tip security, the T-bar 18 is adjusted using the adjustable fastener 26 to position the pad 18a of the T-bar 18 further away from the post 16. This may result in the lowermost ends of the chair 40 not being capable of being positioned on the base plates 36. The adjustable straps 28 are then positioned around the stiles 42 and back 42a of the chair 40 and additionally or optionally around the rear chair legs 46 and/or stretcher 44 and the rear chair legs 46 above the base plate 36. All straps 28 are tightened so that the T-bar 18 is firmly positioned against the rear chair legs 46 and to prevent the device 100 from sliding laterally. The legs 20 are then rotated so as to be perpendicular to the bars 101214 and the foot 22 adjusted so that it rests on the floor.
When a young child is positioned in a seat of the chair 40, for instance in a booster seat resting on the chair seat, the legs 20 are rotating into the use position to prevent the chair from tipping over backwards even if a child sitting in the chair applies significant backwards force against the back 42a of the chair 40. The base plate 36, if used, and the legs 20 prevent the chair 40 from tipping. An adult pushing away from a table also cannot tilt the chair 40 backwards when the device 100 is installed on the chair 40 and in the use position. The inventor notes that the beauty of her device 100 is that once installed, it can be left on the chair 40 and the legs 20 quickly and easily folded up into the storage position when the chair is not in use, to prevent the legs 20 from otherwise being a tripping hazard. The device 100 is easily and quickly installed, so can be taken along when the family visits others or goes to restaurants and quickly and easily installed, providing the parents extra peace of mind knowing their child is safe from falls. The adjustable T-bar 18 allows the device 100 to be easier to carry by allowing the device to optionally have a “flatter” and thus more convenient carry profile.
It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.
For instance, the inventor notes that the embodiment shown in the FIGS. shows a pair of legs 20 in spaced apart relationship however the device 100 can be configured with a single leg 20 positioned centrally along the post 16 that can rotate 90 degrees. The connector 30 could be configured as a hinged connector with the leg 20 and the post 16 to allow the leg 20 to be positioned for storage or use. The leg 20 could also be permanently affixed so as to be non-rotating, or the post 16 formed with a pressure fitted slot or other receiving means to allow the leg 20 to be removed and stored out of the way and then slid into the slot so as to be perpendicular to the T-bar 18. The use of two legs 20 is more stable and provides better stability, however the inventor believes it is important to note the different ways the invention can be practiced. The ability to position the leg 20 in either the storage or use positions is a key element of the device 100, as is the ability to use the device on different chair types without loss of function. The inventor also notes that the L-shaped leg shown in the FIGS. provides stability and minimizing potential tripping hazard when the device 100 is in the use position, however, the leg 20 could also be configured as a straight bar angled approximately 45 degrees from the frame such that the foot 22 is in fact one end of the bar. The straight bar could additionally be folding, telescoping or otherwise adjustable in length and perhaps additionally in angle to allow the user to decide a level of tip protection. Another variation of the leg is an approximately right-angle triangle, where the right-angle is effectively the L-shaped leg shown in the representative embodiments in the FIGS. and a hypotenuse of the triangle is the straight bar previously described. These leg variations and others are all acceptable ways to practice the invention.
The inventor notes that for the taller, barstool style chair, it may be particularly useful to adjust the T-bar 18 so that the legs 20 are positioned further away from the chair 40 to improve the anti-tip effect. The inventor is not aware of any chair anti-tip device that is portable, can be installed on any chair style, and can be quickly and easily adjusted to a storage position while still installed on the chair.
Reference is made to and priority claimed from U.S. application No. 63/476,714 filed on Dec. 22, 2022 under all applicable sections of Title 35 of the United States Code including but not limited to Sections 120, 121, and 365(c), and which in its entirety is incorporated by reference into this application.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 388981 | Labarbe | Sep 1888 | A |
| 801398 | Ray | Oct 1905 | A |
| 20160278524 | Meinecke | Sep 2016 | A1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63476714 | Dec 2022 | US |
