Patent Application
20090261643
The present invention relates generally to seat apparatuses and more particularly to a collapsible seat apparatus that can quickly and easily be transitioned between an erected state and a folded state and further comprises a seat locking component to stabilize the seat apparatus in the erected state.
It is often desirable to have a foldable and portable stool device that may be easily transported from one place to another and used in a variety of indoor and outdoor conditions. It is also convenient to provide a portable stool device that may be reduced to a compact configuration for ease of storage and transport.
Folding stool devices are known in the prior art, but these prior art devices are deficient in several respects. First, prior art folding stool devices do not offer a convenient height for sitting or standing according to studies directed to preferred height of the device. Prior art stool devices typically range in height from 9 inches to 12 inches, which fail to accommodate a comfortable sitting position for a user as well as a sufficient height for standing to access out-of-reach places.
Certain prior art stool devices are heavy and clumsy, as well as complex in requiring multiple parts that are separable from the device, which may potentially become lost or misplaced.
Lastly, in addition to prior art stool devices being difficult to erect and fold, often times the user does not know whether or not the stool device is stable in its unfolded state to sit on or step on. Sitting on or stepping on an unstable stool device may cause a failure mode of the device, which may further result in serious injury of a user.
Examples of prior art devices include U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,003 that discloses a stool with an array of slats supported by arms—the arms being pivotally connected to the slats to achieve a parallel and perpendicular position with respect to the slats. U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,861 describes a foldable stool including a shoulder below and spaced inwardly from a lip around the outer periphery of a top wall.
Another type of stool device is a triangular shaped top platform supported by three legs extending away from each other in diverging directions as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,557, U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,704, U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,052, U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,638, U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,167, U.S. Pat. No. 3,638,588, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,722,973.
While these devices fulfill their respective particular objectives and requirements, the need still remains for a locking collapsible seat apparatus that fulfills the deficiencies of these prior art devices. The present invention satisfies this need.
The locking collapsible seat apparatus of the present invention offers a convenient height for sitting or standing according to studies directed to a preferred height of the apparatus, a light-weight construction for easy transport, a compact design for convenient storage and a configuration for effortless transition between an erected state and a folded state and vice versa. The present invention also provides a seat locking component to stabilize the apparatus in an erected state as well as communicate with the user whether or not the locking component is activated. Although the present invention was contemplated as an apparatus for a user to sit, it is also contemplated that the seat apparatus may be for a user to stand, for example to access out-of-reach places.
According to the present invention, seat apparatus includes five support panels and a plurality of hinges. Hinges connect panels and provide rotation. It is contemplated that hinges may be made of flexible material or of moving components. For example, hinges may be a pivot hinge, butt/mortise hinge, continuous hinge, concealed hinge, butterfly hinge, parliament hinge, strap hinge, counterflap hinge, flush hinge, to name a few. In certain embodiments, seat apparatus includes grasping elements to assist a user in erecting the seat apparatus into an erected state and/or folding the seat apparatus into a folded state.
The seat apparatus also includes a seat locking component. Seat locking component includes ramps, receptacles and protrusions. Protrusions are sized and shaped to be received within receptacles. Ramps guide protrusions toward the receptacles when the seat apparatus is unfolded. Ramps also prevent protrusions from escaping from receptacles once received therein.
An object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible seat apparatus configured with a height within a range of about 13 inches to 16½ inches. According to studies based on the height, weight, sex, and age of a user, the most preferred height is about 15 inches.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible seat that is light-weight, for example constructed from materials such as plastic, plastic composite, thermoplastic resin, such as polyurethane, nylon, polyester, or polypropylene. The materials may further be compounded with a glass fiber or other additives to enhance strength, weatherability or other physical properties.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible seat that possesses a compact design in the folded state for convenient storage.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a configuration for effortless transition between an erected state and a folded state, as well as between a folded state and an erected state.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible seat apparatus with a seat locking component to stabilize the seat apparatus in the erected state. The locking component further communicates to the user—the top platform acts as an indicator to the user as to whether or not the locking component is activated. The seat locking component stabilizes the seat apparatus on any surface, for example, thick course carpet or soft ground block.
These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.
The preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to the limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:
Preferred embodiments of a seat apparatus according to the present invention are generally shown by referring to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in
In certain embodiments, both first platform portion 220 and second platform portion 230 include grasping elements 500. Grasping elements 500 are in the form of elliptical cutouts 510 although any size and shape grasping elements are contemplated. Grasping elements 500 assist a user in erecting the seat apparatus 10 into an erected state and/or folding the seat apparatus 10 into a folded state.
As shown more particularly in
Second wall 130, as shown more particularly in
A first wall hinge 320 connects the first platform portion 220 of the top platform 110 and the first wall 120. First wall hinge 320 is located at the wall edge 226 of the first platform portion 220 and at the top perimeter 125 of the first wall 120.
A second wall hinge 330 connects the second platform portion 230 of the top platform 110 and the second wall 130. Second wall 330 hinge is located at the wall border 236 of the second platform portion 230 and at the top verge 135 of the second wall 130.
As shown in
Bottom rim 248 and bottom boundary 258, as shown in
Second plate 150, as shown in
Bottom periphery 268 and bottom edging 278, as shown in
A first corner hinge 360 connects the first wall 120 and the first plate portion 240 of the first plate 140. First corner hinge 360 is located at the second side perimeter 127 of the first wall 120 and the wall rim 246 of the first plate portion 240 of the first plate 140.
A second corner hinge 370 connects the first wall 120 and the third plate portion 260 of the second plate 150. Second corner hinge 370 is located at the first side perimeter 126 of the first wall 120 and the wall periphery 266 of the third plate portion 260 of the second plate 150.
A third corner hinge 380 connects the second wall 130 and the second plate portion 250 of the first plate 140. Third corner hinge 380 is located at the first side verge 136 of the second wall 130 and the wall boundary 256 of the second plate portion 250 of the first plate 140.
A fourth corner hinge 390 connects the second wall 130 and the fourth plate portion 270 of the second plate 150. Fourth corner hinge 390 is located at the second side verge 137 of the second wall 130 and the wall edging 276 of the fourth plate portion 270 of the second plate 150.
A first ramp 411 and first receptacle 421 are positioned on the first bottom surface 222 of the first platform portion 220 of top platform 110. Both the first ramp 411 and the first receptacle 421 are positioned from the first plate edge 227. First bottom surface 222 also includes a third ramp 413 and third receptacle 423. Third ramp 413 and the third receptacle 423 are positioned from the second plate edge 228 of first bottom surface 222.
First protrusion 431 is positioned on the top periphery 267 of the third plate portion 260 of plate 150. Third protrusion 433 is positioned on top rim 247 of first plate portion 240 of plate 140.
A second ramp 412 and second receptacle 422 are positioned on the second bottom surface 232 of the second platform portion 230 of top platform 110. Both the second ramp 412 and the second receptacle 422 are positioned from the first plate border 237 of second platform portion 230. Second platform portion 230 also includes a fourth ramp 414 and a fourth receptacle 424. Fourth ramp 414 and the fourth receptacle 424 are positioned from the second plate border 238 of second bottom surface 232.
Second protrusion 432 is positioned on the top edging 277 the fourth plate portion 240 of plate 150. Fourth protrusion 434 is positioned on the top boundary 257 of second plate portion 250 of plate 140.
In the erected state as shown in
First ramp 411 and second ramp 412 are positioned a certain distance from center edge 225 and center border 235, respectively, such that first ramp 411 and second ramp 412 do not interfere with one another when first bottom surface 222 and second bottom surface 232 substantially abut one another in the folded state.
Third ramp 413 and fourth ramp 414 are positioned a certain distance from center edge 225 a center border 235, respectively, such that third ramp 413 and fourth ramp 414 do not interfere with one another when first bottom surface 222 and second bottom surface 232 substantially abut one another in the folded state.
Although numerous configurations are contemplated, in a preferred embodiment the height, shown by “H” in
In order to collapse the seat apparatus 10 of the present invention from the erected state to a folded state as shown in
It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention, which have been described, are illustrative of some of the applications of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.
