The present disclosure relates to footrests for salon chairs and more particularly to modified footrests for salon chairs that allow access to the chair by individuals who do or do not have mobility challenges.
Salon chairs are widely used by stylists, barbers, estheticians, and the like to perform a variety of services for an individual while they are seated in the chair. Conventional salon chairs have a seat, back rest, arms, and some form of footrest to help the individual in the chair remain comfortable as the chair is raised and/or lowered to accommodate the person providing services such as cutting, coloring, styling hair, and the like.
Chairs that have a fixed footrest present an obstacle and a danger to individuals including the stylist and the customer. This is especially true for individuals with limited mobility. The present application provides a modular footrest for salon chairs that allows individuals with or without mobility challenges to navigate around, the salon chair without injury. Once seated, the footrests can be moved into position in front of the user. Once the services are complete the footrests can be moved underneath the chair so that no obstruction is present.
It has been recognized that salon chairs are difficult and dangerous to get into for individuals with limited mobility. It has also been recognized that current footrests on salon chairs are an obstacle and a danger to individuals seeking salon services and to individuals providing salon services.
One aspect of the present disclosure is a modified footrest assembly for a salon chair comprising, an upper portion, comprising an attachment plate to removably attach the footrest assembly to a chair; a tube; one or more upper mounting brackets attached to the tube; and one or more hinge pins accompanying the upper mounting brackets; and a lower portion, comprising a leg support having a length wherein the leg support is configured to support a person's foot in a first position and wherein the leg support is configured to not protrude beyond a chair when in a second position, one or more lower mounting brackets attached to the leg support, and a latch attached one or more of the lower mounting brackets, thereby forming a modified footrest for a salon chair that is configured to pivot on the one or more hinge pins of the upper portion and wherein the latch further comprises a spring configured to influence the motion of the lower portion of the footrest relative to the upper portion of the footrest when the latch is opened.
One embodiment of the modified footrest assembly for a salon chair is wherein the leg support has a round cross section.
One embodiment of the modified footrest assembly for a salon chair is wherein the leg support is hollow.
One embodiment of the modified footrest assembly for a salon chair is wherein the leg support is chrome plated.
One embodiment of the modified footrest assembly for a salon chair is wherein the lower portion of the footrest assembly comprises an upper leg support and a lower leg support.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is a salon chair comprising, a back; a seat having a width, a depth, a top surface and a bottom surface; a pedestal having a base; a footrest assembly comprising; an upper portion, comprising an attachment plate to removably attach the footrest assembly to a chair; a tube; one or more upper mounting brackets attached to the tube; and one or more hinge pins accompanying the upper mounting brackets; and a lower portion, comprising a leg support having a length wherein the leg support is configured to support a person's foot in a first position and wherein the leg support is configured to not protrude beyond the chair when in a second position; one or more lower mounting, brackets attached to the leg support; and a latch attached to one or more of the lower mounting brackets, thereby forming a modified footrest for a salon chair that is configured to pivot from a first position to a second potion about the one or more hinge pins and wherein the latch further comprises a spring configured to influence the motion of the lower portion of the footrest relative to the upper portion of the footrest when the latch is opened.
One embodiment of the salon chair is wherein the modified footrest assembly has a leg support that has a round cross section,
One embodiment of the salon chair is wherein the modified footrest assembly has a leg support that is hollow.
One embodiment of the salon chair is wherein the modified footrest assembly has a leg support that is chrome plated.
One embodiment of the salon chair is wherein the lower portion of the footrest assembly comprises an upper leg support and a lower leg support.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is a lower portion of a footrest assembly, comprising a leg support having a length wherein the leg support is configured to support a person's foot in a first position and wherein the leg support is configured to not protrude beyond the chair when in a second position; one or more lower mounting brackets attached to the leg support; and a latch attached to one or more of the lower mounting brackets, thereby forming, a modified footrest for a salon chair that is configured to pivot from a first position to a second potion about the one or more binge pins and wherein the latch further comprises a spring configured to influence the motion of the lower portion of the footrest relative to an upper portion of the footrest when the latch is opened.
One embodiment of the lower portion of a footrest assembly is wherein the leg support has a round cross section.
One embodiment of the lower portion of a footrest assembly is wherein the leg support is hollow,
One embodiment of the lower portion of a footrest assembly is wherein the leg support is chrome plated.
One embodiment of the lower portion of a footrest assembly further comprises an upper lea support and a lower leg support.
These aspects of the disclosure are not meant to be exclusive and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art when read in conjunction with the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the disclosure will be apparent from the following description of particular embodiments of the disclosure, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure.
In certain embodiments of the modified footrest of the present disclosure, the footrest is modular. In certain embodiments, the footrests are configured to fit a variety of styling chairs. In certain embodiments, the pair of modified footrests operates independently of each other to provide greater flexibility.
It has been recognized that salon chairs are difficult and dangerous to get into for individuals with limited mobility. It has also been recognized that current footrests on salon chairs are an obstacle and a danger to individuals seeking salon services and to individuals providing salon services.
Currently, salon chairs have footrests of two basic types. The first type has a single connection point near the front of the chair and resembles a “T” that protrudes from the front of the salon chair at some angle such that a user sitting in the chair can rest their feet. The second type has two connection points, where each connection point is of to either side of the center of the front of the chair. As with the first type, the footrest protrudes from the front of the salon chair at some angle such that a user sitting in the chair can rest their feet.
In some versions of the second type of footrest, the footrest still resembles a “T” but the protruding portion contains two “central” bars. In other versions of the second type, the footrest resembles a “U” where the tops of the “U” connect to the front of the chair, and the bottom of the “U” is a bar or plate where a user rests their feet when sitting in the chair. In another version of the second type, the footrest resembles a “U” that has been cut in half, similar to a wheelchair footrest were the user rests their feet on pedals.
By having a footrest stick out in front of the chair, individuals are at significant risk of bumping into and/or getting caught up in the footrest, if an individual has difficulty seeing the footrest, has mobility issues, and/or is simply not paying attention they can be injured by bumping into the footrest. An individual can also trip and fall, as a result of the protruding footrest, which can cause significant injury to anyone, but even more serious injuries are expected for elderly and/or informed
Of the first type of footrest, there have been modified footrests proposed to help prevent the injury to users of salon chairs and stylists. For example, U.S. Pat. Pub. 2011/0133527 discloses a T-shaped footrest that swivels from left to right. However, this footrest still creates a protrusion on the side of the chair when swiveled to one side that can injure a user as they approach the chair or as they leave the chair. It simply moves the protrusion to one side. The protrusion still creates an obstacle to the stylist who is navigating around the chair, while assisting: a customer into or out of the chair and/or while cleaning around the chair after a service has been completed. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,167 discloses a modified T-shaped footrest, it provides for the front most portion of the footrest to tip down to minimize the extent of the protrusion. :it also provides for some swiveling: from side to side, but as in U.S. Pat. Pub. 2011/0133527 the footrest still protrudes out from the front or side of the chair.
Of the second type of footrest, there have been modified footrests proposed to help prevent the injury to users of salon chairs and to stylists. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,963,610 discloses a U-shaped footrest that ratchets back under the chair or pivots under the chair by using a long rod-type handle. The long handle then moves the protrusion from the user's leg area to their thigh or waist area. This still creates a potential for injury for the user as they get into or out of the chair. This is especially true far those with mobility and/or vision issues.
Another current proposed modification to the second type of footrest is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,494, 334. There, the foot rest resembles a wheelchair footrest with a stationary footrest and movable foot pads. This creates not only a protrusion that the user and/or stylist must avoid, but necessitates that the stylist or users flip up/down the footpads. There are similar versions of wheelchair-like footpads that swivel out and away from the front of the chair, but this does not remove the protrusion and also necessitates that the stylist or user swing the footpads into and out of position. This form of modification has a number of problems. First, it resembles a wheelchair and is therefore not something a high-end salon would prefer to have on all of their salon chairs. The wheelchair-like footrests also look “handicap accessible,” which further marginalizes users with health conditions. These footrests also make a user feel disabled because they require help as they get into or out of the chair or feel awkward while trying to get the footpads into or out of position. They also remain a hazard for anyone, especially those with vision and/or mobility issues.
There are other wheelchair footrests, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,453,027, which would have the same issues with looking like a wheelchair, or handicapped-accessible footrest with large footpads. While the footrests may move out of the “working position” they would have limited use for a salon chair that cannot be moved into position for patient thus avoiding the side protrusion issue.
In certain embodiments of the modified footrest of the present disclosure, the footrest removes the obstacle for a stylist when servicing a customer or when cleaning up after a service has been provided. In certain embodiments of the modified footrest of the present disclosure, the footrest removes the obstacle for an individual who seeks services. In certain embodiments, the modified footrest of the present disclosure allows for access for handicapped individuals. In certain embodiments, the modified footrest does not appear to be handicapped accessible and thus fits with modern salons and with a variety of chair styles. In certain embodiments, individuals are treated with dignity because they can help themselves into the seat and they do not need additional assistance. The amount of fear that individuals have of going into a salon for service cannot be underestimated. There are many instances where stylists are unable to assist customers into position and the risk of injury is too great. In such cases, individuals must forgo services. Certain embodiments of the present disclosure allow individuals to receive services with dignity.
In certain embodiments of the modified footrest of the present disclosure, time savings for stylists are provided while reducing injuries to stylists that do not have to assist customers into or out of the chairs. In certain embodiments, the modified footrest slides out of view and is contained within the profile of the chair—no protrusions. This provides for a clean look, an injury free area, and ease of use and cleaning.
In certain embodiments, the upper portion of the footrest assembly is separate from the lower portion of the footrest assembly. In certain embodiments, the upper portion is adaptable to fit a variety of different salon chairs. In certain embodiments the upper portion is adaptable to a single type of salon chair. In certain embodiments, the lower portion is adaptable to a variety of customers (e.g., short, tall, etc.). In certain embodiments, the lower potion is available in a variety of styles depending on the application. In certain embodiments, the upper portion and the lower portion of the footrest assembly are sold separately and can be mixed and matched, or replaced separately.
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In certain embodiments of the present disclosure, the footrest assembly is constructed from materials including, but not limited to, metal, plastic, wood, and the like. In certain embodiments, the footrest assemblies have, a cross section that is round, flat, angled, or the like. In certain embodiments, the footrest assemblies are solid. In certain embodiments, the footrest assemblies are hollow. In certain embodiments, the footrest assembly is constructed from about ⅞″ tubing. In certain embodiments, the footrest assembly is constructed from about 1″ tubing. In certain embodiments, the footrest assembly is constructed from tubing ranging from about ¾″ to about 1¾″ in diameter. In certain embodiments, the attachment plate is constructed of steel. In certain embodiments, the footrest assembly comprises one or more spring cam lock levers.
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In certain embodiments,the modified footrest is transitioned from position 1 (closed) to position 2 (open) by releasing a latch 20. In certain embodiments, a user and/or stylist can push a latch near the underside of the styling chair, one on either side, to release the footrest from position 1. The release allows the footrest to move into position 2 by swinging on a hinge pin, one on either side of the salon chair. It is understood that a variety of latching mechanisms may be used for this purpose, but that the latch must provide ease of use for the stylist and/or user. In certain embodiments, the latch retains the footrest in position 1 until the user and/or stylist indicates a desire to move into the alternate position. In certain embodiments, once the user is in the chair, the footrests can be swung into position 1. In certain embodiments of the modified footrest of the present disclosure, the footrest “locks” into position automatically with a spring cam lock lever. In certain embodiments, additional components can be added to the upper or lower portion to create additional friction to better control the force need to move the footrest between positions. In certain embodiments, an additional component can include rubber.
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While the principles of the disclosure have been described herein, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation as to the scope of the disclosure. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the present disclosure in addition to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.
This Application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/142,679, filed Apr. 3, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62142679 | Apr 2015 | US |