BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an one-legged seating device with a footrest in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing primary components of the footrest and how they are assembled with a supporting post in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a planar top view of the footrest in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line IV-IV in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line V-V in FIG. 3;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the following description, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings and component numerals, and it can be carried into effect by those skilled in the art after reading it.
As shown in FIG. 1, a footrest 1 in accordance with the present invention is used in a one-legged seating device. The footrest 1 is mounted on a supporting post 5 that supports a seat. The footrest 1 is height adjustable and is fixed at a place by a locking bolt 2.
Referring to FIGS. 2-4, the footrest 1 in accordance with the present invention includes a ring frame 11 and a fixation device 12, wherein the fixation device 12 is made of plastic material, and includes a hub 13 having a central hole 131 and a plurality of spokes 121 arranged in radial direction around the hub 13. The hub 13 provides at least one screw hole 14 running through a sidewall to the central hole 131 of the hub 13. A locking bolt 2 is screwed into the screw hole 14 and fixes the footrest 1 in place. The ring frame 11 may be made of metal or other materials. However, based on the aesthetical consideration, the ring frame 11 and the fixation device 12 are made of different materials respectively and arranged in pairs to obtain a better visual effect. The ring frame 11 is a metal tube shaped into a ring, and placed at a circumference of a mold for over-molding the fixation device 12. Then the melting plastic is injected into the mold. After the melting plastic solidifies, the ring frame 11 is wrapped by and fixed to the circumferential ends of the spokes 121.
FIGS. 2 and 5 show the structure that the footrest 1 is assembled with the supporting post 5 of the seating device. To obtain a stable assembly and fixation, the central hole 131 of the hub 13 provides a pressed sheet 3 and a sleeve 4. The sleeve 4 is made of a material with proper rigidity and elasticity, such as hard rubber, plastic material, and metal. It is a tube whose outer periphery is fitted to the central hole 131 of the hub 13, and central part is a passage hole 41 that lets the supporting post 5 pass through. A flange 42 is provided at one end of the sleeve 4. While the sleeve 4 is fitted into the central hole 131 of the hub 13, the curved pressed sheet 3 is provided between the sleeve 4 and the central hole 131. The pressed sheet 3 is made of a high-strength and wear-resisting material, and is molded into a curved sheet. The pressed sheet 3 has approximately the same curvature of an outer diameter of the sleeve 4. A plurality of holes 31 is provided on the pressed sheet 3, in order to obtain better flexibility and elasticity.
FIG. 5 shows the state that after the sleeve 4 and the pressed sheet 3 are assembled to the central hole 131 of the hub 13, and the supporting post 5 then passes through the passage hole 41 of the sleeve 4. A user can manually operate the locking bolt 2. When the locking bolt 2 is screwed in to press the pressed sheet 3, the pressed sheet presses the sidewall of the sleeve 4. The sleeve 4 then grips the supporting post 5, thereby attaching the footrest 1 to the supporting post 5. Whereas, when the locking bolt 2 is screwed off to release the pressure on the pressed sheet 3, the pressed sheet 3 will return to the original state by its elastic force and release the pressure on the sleeve 4. The sleeve 4 then releases the grip to the supporting post 5, and the footrest 1 can move freely along the supporting post 5. Therefore the user can adjust the height of the footrest 1 along the supporting post 5, and lock the footrest 1 in place by the locking bolt 2.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.
Patent Application
20070290541
