Patent Application
20220160133
The present invention relates generally to the field of footrests. More specifically, the present invention relates to a footrest device designed to screw into a ground surface. The footrest is comprised of a foot board that has an anti-skid texture that allows a user to rest his or her feet in an inclined position. The footrest is further comprised of a conical structure attached to a ball bearing at a top end, wherein the conical structure is screwed into the ground surface to secure the footrest. Further, users can place the footrest in a variety of locations with various heights, depending on their preference. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices and methods of manufacture.
By way of background, campers and beachgoers may carry numerous items to campsites and beaches such as beach chairs, beach umbrellas, mats, music systems and more. Many differing types of beach chairs exist in the art, including canopy beach chairs, folding chairs, backpack beach chairs and more. Conventional beach chairs may allow users to rest their bodies, however said chairs typically lack a place to rest their feet. Because conventional beach chairs lack footrests, individuals must place their feet on the dirt or sand where their feet become dirty, hot and uncomfortable. Further, if the beach or dirt surface contains thorns or other sharp objects, which are often found at campsites and beaches, such as broken glass, an individual's feet may be cut and become infected.
To avoid discomfort and possible injury to their feet, individuals may bring additional items to a campsite or beach, including a lounge chair that includes a foot rest. However, these chairs are designed for homes, and as a result are large and difficult to transport and carry to the beach. In addition, dirt, sand and rain at a campsite or beach may soil or damage a lounge chair that is designed for interior use.
Alternatively, people may carry a foot mat to the beach, as they are much lighter and more portable. However, foot mats lay flat on the ground and cannot be inclined, thus requiring users to keep their feet in the same plane as the ground, which may be uncomfortable. Also, foot mats are not capable of height adjustment, and as a result the feet of children may not reach the foot mat, and adults cannot elevate their feet.
Therefore, there exists a long-felt need in the art for an improved footrest for campsites and beaches that is lightweight and portable. There also exists a long-felt need in the art for an improved footrest for campsites and beaches that can be inclined and elevated to keeps a user's feet clean and safe. Further, there exists a long-felt need in the art for an improved footrest for campsites and beaches that is usable on rough, outdoor surfaces and made of cleanable and durable materials suitable for outdoor environments. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for an improved footrest for campsites and beaches that allows users to enjoy a campsite or beach while keeping their feet clean, safe, and comfortable.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the disclosed innovation. This summary is not an extensive overview. Rather its purpose is to present some general concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises an improved footrest device. More specifically, the footrest device is comprised of a generally rectangular or square foot board and a conical-shaped structure. The foot board has an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper surface has an anti-skid gripping texture, and the lower surface has a ball bearing at the center. The conical-shaped structure has a protruding connector at one end that is configured to attach to the ball bearing, a tapered thread along the conical structure extending to the opposite end, and a corkscrew tip at the opposite end configured to be screwed into the sand, ground or other outdoor surface. The conical structure can also be screwed into the ground at various angles and depths, such that when the foot board is attached it will be inclined and elevated to suit the needs of the user
The components of the footrest device are detachable to allow the device to be easily stored and transported as per the needs and requirements of a user. The device is further made from one or more materials such as but not limited to: wood, plastic, metal, rubber, silicone, etc., allowing the device to be lightweight, durable in outdoor settings and easy to clean.
In this manner, the novel footrest for campsites and beaches of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives and provides a lightweight and portable footrest that can be inclined and elevated. Further, the device can be easily cleaned, and is made of durable materials suitable for outdoor settings. Finally, the device keeps a user's feet clean and safe from dangerous ground objects.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certain illustrative aspects of the disclosed innovation are described herein in connection with the following description and the annexed drawings. These aspects are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles disclosed herein can be employed and are intended to include all such aspects and their equivalents. Other advantages and novel features will become apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The description refers to provided drawings in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the different views, and in which:
The innovation is now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding thereof. It may be evident, however, that the innovation can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate a description thereof. Various embodiments are discussed hereinafter. It should be noted that the figures are described only to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention and do not limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, an illustrated embodiment need not have all the aspects or advantages shown. Thus, in other embodiments, any of the features described herein from different embodiments may be combined.
As noted above, there exists a long-felt need in the art for an improved footrest for campsites and beaches that is lightweight and portable, and that can be inclined and elevated to keeps a user's feet clean and safe. Further, there exists a long-felt need in the art for an improved footrest for campsites and beaches that is usable on rough, outdoor surfaces and made of cleanable and durable materials suitable for outdoor environments. Finally, there is a long-felt need in the art for an improved footrest for campsites and beaches that allows users to enjoy a campsite or beach while keeping their feet clean, safe and comfortable.
The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, comprises a novel footrest device. The device is comprised of a foot board having an upper surface with an anti-skid, gripping texture, and a lower surface with a ball bearing that attaches to a conical-shaped structure. The conical shaped structure further includes a connector at one end for attaching to the ball bearing, a tapered thread along the conical structure extending to the opposite end and a cork screw tip at the opposite end. The conical structure can further be screwed into sand, dirt or other outdoor ground surfaces.
Referring initially to the drawings,
The rectangular or square foot board 102 has an upper surface 1020 and a lower surface 1022. The upper surface 1020 has an anti-skid, gripping texture, and users place their feet on the upper surface 1020. The lower surface 1022 has an attached ball bearing 106 that connects to a connector or a protruding structure 108 of the conical shaped structure 104 allowing the foot board 102 to be secured and locked to the conical-shaped structure 104, to form a stable unit. The ball bearing 106 is permanently attached to the lower surface 1022 of the foot board 102. The connector 108 is dimensioned to fit detachably to the ball bearing 106. The conical-shaped structure 104 has a top section 1040 forming a base, and a bottom end 1042 having a conical tip designed to be screwed into sand, dirt, or other like ground surfaces. The connector 108 is a protruding structure permanently connected to the top section 1040 of the conical-shaped structure 104 and is configured to attach to the ball bearing 106.
The footrest 100 is specifically designed for sand, dirt, and other like ground surfaces such that the corkscrew end 110 of the conical shaped structure 104 can be screwed into the ground surface, thereby allowing the footrest 100 to be secured into said surface. Unlike a foot stool that may have a number of supporting legs that can be difficult to position on rough surfaces, the footrest 100 is secured to the ground at one point, removing any difficulties resulting from multiple supporting legs. The conically-shaped structure 104 further includes a tapered thread terminating at the cork screw end 110 that allows the conical shaped structure 104 to screw into sand, dirt, gravel or other like ground surfaces. As a function of the angle and depth in which the conical-shaped structure 104 is screwed into the ground, the foot board 102 can be inclined and elevated as per the preferences of the user.
The foot board 102 can be made from one or more combinations of wood, plastic, metal, rubber, silicone or other materials of the like. The upper surface 1020 has an anti-skid gripping texture, thus enhancing overall stability. In the present embodiment, a lightweight, non-slipping and cooling material such as a terry cloth or cotton can comprise or cover the foot board, 102 providing additional comfort for the user. The conical-shaped structure 104 has a preferred length of approximately 6-9 inches, and the foot board 102 has preferred dimensions ranging from approximately 25 to 30 inches wide and 40 to 45 inches long.
Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “footrest for campsites and beaches”, “footrest device”, “footrest”, and “device” are interchangeable and refer to the footrest device 100 of the present invention.
Notwithstanding the forgoing, the footrest device 100 of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above-stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the size, configuration, and material of the footrest device 100 as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the footrest device 100 are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the footrest device 100 are important design parameters for user convenience, the footrest device 100 may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.
Various modifications and additions can be made to the exemplary embodiments discussed without departing from the scope of the present invention. While the embodiments described above refer to particular features, the scope of this invention also includes embodiments having different combinations of features and embodiments that do not include all of the described features. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the scope of the claims, together with all equivalents thereof
What has been described above includes examples of the claimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of the claimed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the claimed subject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as a transitional word in a claim.
The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/116,323, which was filed on Nov. 20, 2020, and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63116323 | Nov 2020 | US |
