Combined chair and object support

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6676208
  • Patent Number
    6,676,208
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, May 29, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, January 13, 2004
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Original Assignees
  • Examiners
    • Cuomo; Peter M.
    • D'Adamo; Stephen
    Agents
    • Merchant & Gould, P.C.
Abstract
A combined chair and object support for video equipment, telescopes, drawing boards and the like, includes a chair leg assembly, a seat member, an upright support post and a linking member. The chair leg assembly has an upper leg end, and a lower leg end opposite to the upper leg end and adapted to be placed on a ground surface. The seat member is mounted on the upper leg end of the chair leg assembly. The upright support post is adapted for mounting an object removably thereon. The linking member is formed with a first coupling end connected to the seat member, and a second coupling end connected to the support post, thereby forming a horizontal spacing between the seat member and the support post in a longitudinal direction.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




This invention relates to a support for objects, more particularly to a combined chair and object support for video equipment, telescopes, drawing boards and the like.




2. Description of the Related Art




Stands for supporting a variety of objects, such as cameras, telescopes, drawing boards and the like, are known in the art. However, the conventional stands are not equipped with means for sitting of the user, and thus require the use of a separate chair.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a combined chair and object support for video equipment, telescopes, drawing boards and the like to overcome the aforementioned drawback of the prior art.




According to this invention, a combined chair and object support includes a chair leg assembly, a seat member, an upright support post and a linking member. The chair leg assembly has an upper leg end, and a lower leg end opposite to the upper leg end and adapted to be placed on a ground surface. The seat member is mounted on the upper leg end of the chair leg assembly. The upright support post is adapted for mounting an object removably thereon. The linking member is formed with a first coupling end connected to the seat member, and a second coupling end connected to the support post, thereby forming a horizontal spacing between the seat member and the support post in a longitudinal direction.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS




Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:





FIG. 1

is an exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of a combined chair and object support according to the present invention;





FIG. 2

is an assembled perspective view of the first preferred embodiment illustrating how wing plate portions of a seat member can be folded relative to a central plate portion;





FIG. 3

is a perspective view showing the first preferred embodiment in a folded state;





FIG. 4

is a perspective view of the second preferred embodiment of a combined chair and object support according to the present invention;





FIG. 5

is a perspective view of the third preferred embodiment of a combined chair and object support according to the present invention; and





FIG. 6

is a perspective view of the fourth preferred embodiment of a combined chair and object support according to the present invention.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that same reference numerals have been used to denote like elements throughout the specification.




Referring to

FIGS. 1

,


2


and


3


, the first preferred embodiment of a combined chair and object support according to the present invention is shown to comprise a chair leg assembly


2


, a seat member


3


, an upright support post


5


and a linking member


4


.




As illustrated, the chair leg assembly


2


has an upper leg end


211


, and a lower leg end


213


opposite to the upper leg end


211


and adapted to be placed on a ground surface. The seat member


3


is mounted on the upper leg end


211


of the chair leg assembly


2


. The upright support post


5


is adapted for mounting an object, such as a camera


513


(see FIG.


2


), removably thereon. The linking member


4


has a first coupling end


411


connected to the seat member


3


, and a second coupling end


431


connected to the support post


5


, thereby forming a horizontal spacing between the seat member


3


and the support post


5


in a longitudinal direction, as best shown in FIG.


2


.




The chair leg assembly


2


includes a plurality of known telescopic legs


21


. The chair leg assembly


2


further includes a coupler


22


at the upper leg end


211


. The telescopic legs


21


are connected pivotally to the coupler


22


, thereby permitting folding of the chair leg assembly


2


. The seat member


3


has a bottom side


311


formed with a connecting post


34


. The coupler


22


has a vertical coupling hole


22


′ for receiving the connecting post


34


, such that the seat member


3


can be mounted on the chair leg assembly


2


. Preferably, the coupler


22


of the chair leg assembly


2


is provided with a retaining unit in the form of a threaded rod


23


for retaining removably the connecting post


34


in the coupling hole


22


′.




A known clamp


35


is mounted on the bottom side


311


of the seat member


3


. The first coupling end


411


of the linking member


4


is clamped by the clamp


35


to mount removably the first coupling end


411


to the seat member


3


.




The linking member


4


includes a first link


41


, a second link


43


, and a first angle-adjustable joint


42


. The first link


41


is formed with the first coupling end


411


and a first pivot end


412


opposite to the first coupling end


411


. The second link


43


is formed with the second coupling end


431


and a second pivot end


432


opposite to the second coupling end


431


. The first angle-adjustable joint


42


is a conventional device that interconnects the first and second pivot ends


412


,


432


to retain the second link


43


at a desired angle relative to the first link


41


.




The linking member


4


further includes a second angle adjustable joint


45


similar to the first angle-adjustable joint


42


, provided at the second coupling end


431


, and connected to the support post


5


to retain the support post


5


at a desired angle relative to the second link


43


.




The seat member


3


includes a central plate portion


31


formed with the connecting post


34


and mounted with the clamp


35


, and a pair of wing plate portions


33


connected foldably and respectively to opposite lateral sides of the central plate portion


31


. The first and second links


41


,


43


and the support post


5


are foldable so as to be disposed on top of the central plate portion


31


. The wing plate portions


33


are foldable upwardly relative to the central plate portion


31


when the first and second links


41


,


43


and the support post


5


are folded on the central plate portion


31


, as best shown in FIG.


3


.




Preferably, each of the wing plate portions


33


is formed with a grip hole


331


to facilitate upward folding of the wing plate portions


331


relative to the central plate portion


31


.




In this embodiment, the support post


5


includes a telescopic post


52


having an upper end provided with a known mounting device


51


for mounting the object removably and adjustably thereon.




Referring to

FIG. 4

, in the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the object mounted on the support post


5


is a bracket


513


. A board rail


514


is supported by the linking member


4


in a transverse direction transverse to the longitudinal direction. The board rail


514


is adapted to cooperate with the bracket


513


to retain a drawing board


515


on the support post


5


.




Referring to

FIG. 4

, in the third preferred embodiment of the present invention, the combined chair and object support further comprises an auxiliary leg unit


44


having an upper leg part


441


connected removably to the linking member


4


via a known clamp


442


, and a lower leg part


443


opposite to the upper leg part


441


and adapted to be placed on the ground surface. The auxiliary leg unit


44


includes a pair of telescopic rods


444


. Thus, the drawing board


515


can be stably supported on the ground surface.




Referring to

FIG. 6

, in the fourth preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support post


5


is in the form of a telescopic post having an upper post end


531


adapted to be mounted with the object, a lower post end


532


adapted to be placed on the ground surface, and a middle post section


533


between the upper and lower post ends


531


,


532


and connected to the second angle adjustable joint


45


of the linking member


4


.




In view of the configuration of the combined chair and object support, the user need not stand when the present invention is in use.




While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.



Claims
  • 1. A combined chair and object support comprising:a chair leg assembly having an upper leg end, and a lower leg end opposite to said upper leg end and adapted to be placed on a ground surface; a seat member mounted on said upper leg end of said chair leg assembly; an upright support post adapted for mounting an object removably thereon; and a linking member having a first coupling end connected to said seat member, and a second coupling end connected to said support post, thereby forming a horizontal spacing between said seat member and said support post in a longitudinal direction, wherein the object mounted on said support post being a bracket, further comprising a board rail supported by said linking member in a transverse direction transverse to the longitudinal direction, said board rail being adapted to cooperate with the bracket to retain a drawing board on said support post.
  • 2. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said seat member has a bottom side and a clamp mounted on said bottom side, said first coupling end of said linking member being clamped by said clamp to mount removably said first coupling end to said seat member.
  • 3. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidsupport post is a telescopic post.
  • 4. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 1, wherein saidsupport post has an upper end provided with a mounting device for mounting the object removably and adjustably thereon.
  • 5. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said linking member includes:a first link formed with said first coupling end and a first pivot end opposite to said first coupling end; a second link formed with said second coupling end and a second pivot end opposite to said second coupling end; and a first angle-adjustable joint interconnecting said first and second pivot ends to retain said second link at a desired angle relative to said first link.
  • 6. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 5, wherein said linking member further includes a second angle adjustable joint provided at said second coupling end and connected to said support post to retain said support post at a desired angle relative to said second link.
  • 7. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 6, wherein said seat member includes a central plate portion and a pair of wing plate portions connected foldably and respectively to opposite lateral sides of said central plate portion, said first and second links and said support post being foldable so as to be disposed on top of said central plate portion, said wing plate portions being foldable upwardly relative to said central plate portion when said first and second links and said support post are folded on said central plate portion.
  • 8. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said wing plate portions is formed with a grip hole to facilitate upward folding of said wing plate portions relative to said central plate portion.
  • 9. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary leg unit having an upper leg part connected removably to said linking member, and a lower leg part opposite to said upper leg part and adapted to be placed on the ground surface.
  • 10. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 9, wherein said auxiliary leg unit includes a pair of telescopic rods.
  • 11. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 1, wherein said chair leg assembly further includes a plurality of telescopic legs.
  • 12. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 11, wherein said chair leg assembly further includes a coupler at said upper leg end, said telescopic legs being connected pivotally to said coupler.
  • 13. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 12, wherein said seat member has a bottom side formed with a connecting post, said coupler being formed with a vertical coupling hole for receiving said connecting post, thereby mounting said seat member on said chair leg assembly.
  • 14. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a retaining unit for retaining removably said connecting post in said coupling hole.
  • 15. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 12, wherein said seat member includes a central plate portion and a pair of wing plate portions connected foldably and respectively to opposite lateral sides of said central plate portion, said central plate portion being mounted removably on said coupler, said wing plate portions being foldable upwardly relative to said central plate portion.
  • 16. The combined chair and object support as claimed in claim 15, wherein each of said wing plate portions is formed with a grip hole to facilitate upward folding of said wing plate portions relative to said central plate portion.
  • 17. A combined chair and object support comprising:a chair leg assembly having an upper leg end, and a lower leg end opposite to said upper leg end and adapted to be placed on a ground surface; a seat member mounted on said upper leg end of said chair leg assembly; an upright support post adapted for mounting an object removably thereon; and a linking member having a first coupling end connected to said seat member, and a second coupling end connected to said support post, thereby forming a horizontal spacing between said seat member and said support post in a longitudinal direction, wherein said chair leg assembly includes a plurality of telescopic legs, said chair leg assembly further includes a coupler at said upper leg end, said telescopic legs being connected pivotally to said coupler, said seat member includes a central plate portion and a pair of wing plate portions connected foldably and respectively to opposite lateral sides of said central plate portion, said central plate portion being mounted removably on said coupler, said wing plate portions being foldable upwardly relative to said central plate portion.
  • 18. A combined chair and object support comprising:a chair leg assembly having an upper leg end, and a lower leg end opposite to said upper leg end and adapted to be placed on a ground surface; a seat member mounted on said upper leg end of said chair leg assembly; an upright support post adapted for mounting an object removably thereon; and a linking member having a first coupling end connected to said seat member, and a second coupling end connected to said support post, thereby forming a horizontal spacing between said seat member and said support post in a longitudinal direction, wherein said linking member including a first link formed with said first coupling end and a first pivot end opposite to said first coupling end; a second link formed with said second coupling end and a second pivot end opposite to said second coupling end; and a first angle-adjustable joint interconnecting said first and second pivot ends to retain said second link at a desired angle relative to said first link; said linking member further including a second angle adjustable joint provided at said second coupling end and connected to said support post to retain said support post at a desired angle relative to said second link; and said seat member including a central plate portion and a pair of wing plate portions connected foldably and respectively to opposite lateral sides of said central plate portion, said first and second links and said support post being foldable so as to be disposed on top of said central plate portion, said wing plate portions being foldable upwardly relative to said central plate portion when said first and second links and said support post are folded on said central plate portion.
  • 19. A combined chair and object support comprising:a chair leg assembly having an upper leg end, and a lower leg end opposite to said upper leg end and adapted to be placed on a ground surface; a seat member mounted on said upper leg end of said chair leg assembly; an upright support post adapted for mounting an object removably thereon; a linking member having a first coupling end connected to said seat member, and a second coupling end connected to said support post, thereby forming a horizontal spacing between said seat member and said support post in a longitudinal direction; and further comprising an auxiliary leg unit having an upper leg part connected removably to said linking member, and a lower leg part opposite to said upper leg part and adapted to be placed on the ground surface.
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