Patent Application
20170099954
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to maintenance and repair of vehicles and, more particularly, to a multi-mode stool for adequately supporting a worker working on a vehicle.
2. Related Prior Art
In a motorcycle or bicycle workshop, a worker squats on the ground to scrutinize, maintain or repair a motorcycle, scooter or bicycle. In a car workshop, a worker sometimes has to lie on the ground to scrutinize, maintain or repair a car or truck. The worker stains his or her clothes while lying on the ground. The worker suffers sore or pain in his or her muscles after squatting or lying on the ground for some time.
The worker can sit on a stool while scrutinizing, maintaining or repairing the motorcycle, scooter or bicycle. However, the gap between the chassis of the car and the ground is smaller than the height of the stool, and the stool is hence useless for supporting the worker below the chassis of the car.
The worker can lie on a board equipped with casters while working below the chassis of the car or truck. However, the length of the board is not adjustable and hence fails to adequately support the worker if he or she is tall.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
It is the primary objective of the present invention to provide a multi-mode stool with adjustable height and angle.
To achieve the foregoing objective, the multi-mode stool includes a chassis, a height adjustor and an angle adjustor. The height adjustor includes an external tube pivotally connected to the chassis between a vertical position and a horizontal position and an internal tube telescopically inserted in the external tube so that the height adjustor is made with an adjustable effective length. The angle adjustor includes a platform, two lateral plates, an axle and a pin. The lateral plates extend parallel to each other and from the platform. Each of the lateral plates includes a plurality of apertures. The axle is used to pivotally connect the lateral plates to the internal tube, which is located between the lateral plates. The pin is operable to insert in the internal tube via a selected one of the apertures to keep the platform in a selected one of several angles relative to the internal tube.
The multi-mode may include an elastic pin device arranged on one of the longitudinal bars and operable for engagement with the external tube to keep the external tube in the vertical position on the chassis. The external tube may include a fin for engagement with the elastic pin device. The elastic pin device may include a sheath connected to the longitudinal bar in the vicinity of the fin, a pin movably inserted in the sheath, and a spring compressed between an internal portion of the sheath and a portion of the pin. The spring tends to push the pin into the fin from the sheath.
The height adjustor may include a fastener operable to reach and abut against the internal tube via the external tube to keep the effective length of the height adjustor at a desired value.
To provide comfort, the multi-mode may include two cushions. The first cushion is connected to the platform. The second cushion includes a front portion supported on front unit of the chassis, a rear portion supported on a rear unit of the chassis, and a middle portion supported on a longitudinal unit of the chassis. The rear portion of the second cushion includes a cutout for receiving the external tube so that the second cushion does not interfere with the pivoting of the external tube.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present invention will be apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
The present invention will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
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The chassis 20 is a substantially I-shaped. The chassis 20 includes a longitudinal unit 22, a front unit, a rear unit and a stop 23. The longitudinal unit 22 includes two longitudinal bars 28 separated from each other by a slit 21.
The front unit includes a front transverse bar 24 and two front reinforcement bars (not numbered). The front transverse bar 24 is attached to front ends of the longitudinal bars 28 by welding for example. Each front reinforcement bar is a bent element with an end connected to the front transverse bar 24 and another end connected to a corresponding one of the longitudinal bars 28.
The rear unit includes two rear transverse bars 26 and two rear reinforcement bars (not numbered). Each rear transverse bar 26 extends from a corresponding one of the longitudinal bars 28, i.e., they are made in one piece. Each rear reinforcement bar is a bent element with an end connected to a corresponding one of the longitudinal bars 28 and another end connected to a corresponding one of the rear transverse bars 26.
The stop 23 is attached to the rear ends of the longitudinal bars 28, or ends of the rear transverse bars 26. The stop 23 is preferably in the form of a strip horizontally extending across the slit 21.
Four casters 12 are attached to a lower side of the chassis 20. Each caster 12 is located at a corresponding corner of the chassis 20.
The height adjustor 30 includes an external tube 32, an internal tube 34, a fastener 36 and a fin 38. The external tube 32 is inserted in the slit 21 and pivotally connected to the longitudinal bars 28. The external tube 32 can be pivoted between a vertical position and a horizontal position. In the horizontal position, the external tube 32 is stopped and supported by the stop 23.
The internal tube 34 is movably inserted in the external tube 32. Thus, an effective length of the combination of the internal tube 34 with the external tube 32 is adjustable.
The fastener 36 is preferably a threaded bolt. A handle is attached to an end of the threaded bolt to facilitate rotation of the threaded bolt. The fastener 36 is inserted in a screw hole (not numbered) made in the external tube 32 to abut against the internal tube 34 to keep the effective length of the combination of the internal tube 34 with the external tube 32 in a desired value.
The fin 38 is formed on or connected to the external tube 32. The fin 38 is made with an aperture 31.
The elastic pin device 50 is used for insertion in the fin 38 to keep the external tube 32 in the vertical position. The elastic pin device 50 is provided on one of the longitudinal bars 28. The elastic pin device 50 includes a sheath 52, a pin 54, a spring 56 and a ring 58.
The sheath 52 is formed with a thread on an external side. The sheath 52 is inserted in a screw hole (not numbered) made in one of the longitudinal bars 28. Sheath 52 is in the vicinity of the fin 38.
The pin 54 includes a middle portion formed between two enlarged first and second ends. Most of the middle portion of the pin 54 is movably inserted in the sheath 52. The first enlarged end of the pin 54 can be completely inserted in the sheath 52 or partially located out of the sheath 52. The second enlarged end of the pin 54 is always located out of the sheath 52.
The spring 56 is inserted in the sheath 52. The spring 56 is compressed between an internal portion of the sheath 52 and the first enlarged end of the pin 54. The spring 56 tends to push the first enlarged end of the pin 54 from the sheath 52.
The ring 58 is connected to the second enlarged end of the pin 54. The ring 58 is located out of the sheath 52.
The ring 58 is operable to completely insert the first enlarged end of the pin 54 in the sheath 52, i.e., located out of the aperture 31. Thus, the external tube 32 is allowed to pivot relative to the longitudinal bars 28.
Now, the spring 56 is compressed and hence loaded. By releasing the ring 58, the spring 56 is allowed to push the first enlarged end of the pin 54 out of the sheath 52, i.e., inserted into the aperture 31. Thus, the external tube 32 is kept in the vertical position on the chassis 20.
The angle adjustor 40 includes a platform 42, two lateral plates 44 and a pin 46. The lateral plates 44 extends from a lower side of the platform 42. The lateral plates 44 extend substantially parallel to each other. The internal tube 34 is located between the lateral plates 44 before the lateral plates 44 are pivotally connected to the internal tube 34 by the axle 43. Each of the lateral plates 44 is made with a plurality of apertures 48. The pin 46 is inserted in an aperture (not numbered) made in the internal tube 34 via a selected one of the apertures 48 to keep the platform 42 relative to the internal tube 34 in a selected one of several angles such as 0°, 45°, 90°, 135° and 180°.
Screws 14 are inserted in the platform 42 via washers 16. Thus, the cushion 60 is connected to the platform 42.
The cushion 62 is substantially I-shaped corresponding to the chassis 20. The cushion 62 includes a middle portion 66 formed between a front portion 64 and a rear portion 68. The rear portion 68 includes a cutout 61. The cushion 62 is attached to the chassis 20 by screws for example. The front portion 64 is supported on the front unit of the chassis 20. The middle portion 66 covers the longitudinal unit 22. The rear portion 68 covers the rear unit of the chassis 20. The cutout 61 of the rear portion 68 is used to receive the external tube 32 so that the cushion 62 does not interfere with the pivoting of the external tube 32.
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The present invention has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.
