PORTABLE LEG SUPPORT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a portable leg support, comprising: a detachable seat coupling, the detachable seat coupling having an engagement member to secure the detachable seat coupling to a seat; an upper body connected to the detachable seat coupling, the upper body having a pair of retractable upper leg supports, the upper legs supports each extending into a position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the upper body and being diametrically opposed to each other when extended; and a lower body connected to the upper body, the lower body having a pair of retractable lower leg supports, the lower legs supports each extending into a position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lower body and being diametrically opposed to each other when extended, wherein the leg support provides support for a user's legs when coupled to a seat and the upper leg supports and lower leg supports are extended.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present specification relates generally to leg supports and more particularly to a portable leg support which may be detachably coupled to a chair seat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

Commercial air travel is one of the safest, most reliable and dependable methods of transportation; short and long distances from one place to another. Millions of people of all ages travel by air every day. Long distance travel by air and motor vehicle as a passenger without exercise and movement of the leg is associated with serious health risks. Gravity and lack of exercise or movement of dependent legs during long air travel and vehicular travel are associated with ankle edema, venous blood pooling in dependent legs, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the leg veins. A suitable solution is desired to allow people to travel comfortably.

Various attempts have been made to solve problems found in devices for avoiding blood stagnation art. Among these are found in: U.S. Pat. No. 7,954,900; 2005/0277856; 2002/0160892. This prior art is representative of devices for avoiding blood stagnation.

None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the invention as claimed. Thus, a need exists for a reliable deep vein thrombosis prevention system, and to avoid the above-mentioned problems.

Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a portable leg support which may be detachably coupled to a chair seat. The leg support is intended to assist with the prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) during air travel, among other uses.

According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a portable leg support, comprising: a detachable seat coupling, the detachable seat coupling having an engagement member to secure the detachable seat coupling to a seat; an upper body connected to the detachable seat coupling, the upper body having a pair of retractable upper leg supports, the upper legs supports each extending into a position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the upper body and being diametrically opposed to each other when extended; and a lower body connected to the upper body, the lower body having a pair of retractable lower leg supports, the lower legs supports each extending into a position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lower body and being diametrically opposed to each other when extended, wherein the leg support provides support for a user's legs when coupled to a seat and the upper leg supports and lower leg supports are extended.

Additionally, the portable leg support may further comprise a retractable base, the retractable base extending into a position perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis of the lower body and the lower leg supports, the retractable base supporting the portable leg support when extended. The portable leg support may further include an adjustment mechanism permitting movement of the lower body relative to the upper body to adjust an overall length of the portable leg support. If present, the retractable base may further comprise a height adjustment mechanism, the height adjustment mechanism permitting adjustment of the height of the retractable base when extended.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method of securing a portable leg support to a seat, comprising: securing the portable leg support to the seat via a detachable seat coupling, the detachable seat coupling having an engagement member to secure the detachable seat coupling to a seat, with the portable leg support comprising: an upper body connected to the detachable seat coupling, the upper body having a pair of retractable upper leg supports, the upper legs supports each extending into a position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the upper body and being diametrically opposed to each other when extended; and a lower body connected to the upper body, the lower body having a pair of retractable lower leg supports, the lower legs supports each extending into a position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lower body and being diametrically opposed to each other when extended, and extending the upper leg supports and the lower leg supports; wherein the leg support provides support for a user's legs when coupled to the seat and the upper leg supports and lower leg supports are extended.

For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

Other aspects and features according to the present application will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, embodiments of the invention, and how they may be carried into effect, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a portable leg support attached to a seat according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the portable leg support of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the portable leg support of FIG. 1 in a retracted position;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the portable leg support of FIG. 1 in a collapsed position;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a seat coupling for a portable leg support according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 6 is a side view of a seat coupling for a portable leg support according to another embodiment.

Like reference numerals indicated like or corresponding elements in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates generally to leg supports and more particularly to a portable leg support which may be detachably coupled to a chair seat. The leg support is intended to assist with the prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) during air travel, among other uses.

According to an embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, a portable leg support 100 is shown secured to a seat 110. The leg support 100 is formed from a detachable seat coupling 120, an upper body 140 and a lower body 150. Upper body 140 and lower body 150 may be a unitary piece, or separate elements, as discussed below. Upper body 140 includes a pair of upper leg supports 130 which pivot out via hinge 135 to a position perpendicular to upper body 140. Similarly, lower body 150 includes a pair of lower leg supports 160 which pivot out via hinge 165 to a position perpendicular to lower body 150. In operation, upper leg supports 130 provide support to the user's upper legs (e.g. thigh/hamstring region) and the lower leg supports 160 provide support to the user's lower legs (e.g. calf/ankle region). Lower body 150 may rest upon a floor or similar surface to support and balance portable leg support 100.

Referring to FIG. 2, portable leg support 100 may further include a base 170 to provide additional support to the lower body 150. Base 170 may be retractable into lower body 150 via hinge 175 in the same manner as lower leg support 160. Additionally, base 170 may include a height adjustment mechanism 180, such as a telescoping mechanism or fixed position adjustment mechanism (e.g. spring tabs and holes). In operation, the height and angle of portable leg support 100 may be adjusted via adjustment of the height adjustment mechanism 180. Further, seat coupling 120 and upper body 130 may then be pivotally engaged to allow adjustment of the angle of portable leg support 100 in cooperation with height adjustment mechanism 180.

As shown in FIG. 3, upper leg supports 130 may be pivoted via hinge 135 to be contained within the upper body 140. Similarly, lower leg supports 160 may be pivoted via hinge 165 to be contained within the lower body 150. Thus, leg supports may be retracted when not in use for easier transportation and storage of portable leg support 100.

As shown in FIG. 4, lower body 150 may be partially or fully retractable into lower body 140 to further reduce the size of portable leg support 100 for storage and transportation. It may be noted that for clarity FIG. 4 is not shown to scale and the dimensions of upper body 140 and lower body 150 should be such as to provide for upper leg supports 130 and lower leg supports 160 to be of sufficient size to provide leg support to the user without undue pressure on the user's legs.

Seat coupling 120 may, as shown in FIG. 5, be formed from a pair of opposing arms, with an arm adjustment mechanism connected to each arm to adjust the distance between the arms. The adjustment mechanism is preferably a spring-loaded mechanism or similar tensioned mechanism to secure seat coupling 120 to the seat 110. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 6, seat coupling 120 may be formed from s a single arm, the single arm movable between an extended position and a retracted position via a hinge 125, which may or may not be under tension. The single arm alternative may be preferred for use with thicker seats or seats that do not have an exposed cushion or edge the seat coupling 120 may readily engage.

As shown, portable leg support 100 may be cylindrical or semi-cylindrical in shape, or various ratios of rectangular prisms. Thus, upper body 140 and lower body 150 would be circular, semi-circular, square or rectangular in cross-section. Similarly, upper leg supports 130 and lower leg supports 160 may be semi-cylinders or rectangular prisms.

In operation, lower body 150 is extended out from upper body 140, if required. Then upper leg supports 130 and lower leg supports 160 are extended into position as shown in FIG. 1. If present, base 170 may also be extended. The leg support 100 is then attached to sear 110 via seat coupling 120. If any adjustment mechanisms are provided for upper body 140 and lower body 150, and/or base 170, final adjustments to the length and height may be made. The portable leg support 100 then allows the user to extend their legs while seated, with both the upper legs (i.e. upper hamstring region) and lower legs (i.e. ankle/lower calf region) supports. With the user's legs extended and supported, vulnerability to conditions that are aggravated by remaining in a seated position for an extended time, such as DVT, is thereby reduced.

Preferably, all parts of portable leg support 100 are formed from a high-strength, lightweight plastic, however, other materials such as metal or wood may be used. Overall construction may eliminate materials where excessive weight would hinder user portability. Overall dimensions may be dependent upon user size and the retractability of lower body 150, however, it is envisioned that when retracted as shown in FIG. 3, the portable leg support 100 is dimensioned similarly to a large water bottle in height and width.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Certain adaptations and modifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the presently discussed embodiments are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A portable leg support, comprising: a detachable seat coupling, the detachable seat coupling having an engagement member to secure the detachable seat coupling to a seat;an upper body connected to the detachable seat coupling, the upper body having a pair of retractable upper leg supports, the upper legs supports each extending into a position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the upper body and being diametrically opposed to each other when extended; anda lower body connected to the upper body, the lower body having a pair of retractable lower leg supports, the lower legs supports each extending into a position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lower body and being diametrically opposed to each other when extended,

2. The portable leg support of claim 1, wherein the lower body further comprises a retractable base, the retractable base extending into a position perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis of the lower body and the lower leg supports, the retractable base supporting the portable leg support when extended.

3. The portable leg support of claim 1, further comprising an adjustment mechanism connecting the upper body and the lower body, the adjustment mechanism permitting movement of the lower body relative to the upper body to adjust an overall length of the portable leg support.

4. The portable leg support of claim 2, wherein the retractable base further comprises a height adjustment mechanism, the height adjustment mechanism permitting adjustment of the height of the retractable base when extended.

5. The portable leg support of claim 3, wherein the adjustment mechanism is a telescoping mechanism.

6. The portable leg support of claim 4, wherein the height adjustment mechanism is a telescoping mechanism.

7. The portable leg support of claim 1, wherein the detachable seat coupling comprises a pair of opposing arms, with an arm adjustment mechanism connected to each arm to adjust the distance between the arms.

8. The portable leg support of claim 7, wherein the arm adjustment mechanism is a spring-loaded mechanism.

9. The portable leg support of claim 1, wherein the detachable seat coupling comprises a single arm, the single arm movable between an extended position and a retracted position via a hinge.

10. The portable leg support of claim 1, wherein the upper body and lower body are of similar cross-section, the cross-section being one of: a circle, a square, a rectangle and a semi-circle.

11. The portable leg support of claim 1, wherein the upper leg supports and lower leg supports are of similar cross-section, the cross-section being one of: a square, a rectangle and a semi-circle.

12. The portable leg support of claim 1, wherein the lower body at least partially retractable into the upper body.

13. A method of securing a portable leg support to a seat, comprising: securing the portable leg support to the seat via a detachable seat coupling, the detachable seat coupling having an engagement member to secure the detachable seat coupling to a seat, with the portable leg support comprising: an upper body connected to the detachable seat coupling, the upper body having a pair of retractable upper leg supports, the upper legs supports each extending into a position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the upper body and being diametrically opposed to each other when extended; anda lower body connected to the upper body, the lower body having a pair of retractable lower leg supports, the lower legs supports each extending into a position perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the lower body and being diametrically opposed to each other when extended, andextending the upper leg supports and the lower leg supports;

14. The method of claim 13, wherein lower body of the portable leg support further comprises a retractable base, the retractable base extending into a position perpendicular to both the longitudinal axis of the lower body and the lower leg supports, the retractable base supporting the portable leg support when extended extension arms and the support arms are of similar length.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting the portable leg support using an adjustment mechanism connecting the upper body and the lower body, the adjustment mechanism permitting movement of the lower body relative to the upper body to adjust an overall length of the portable leg support.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising adjusting the portable leg support by adjusting the retractable base using a height adjustment mechanism, the height adjustment mechanism permitting adjustment of the height of the retractable base when extended.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the lower body is at least partially retractable into the upper body and further comprising a step of extending the lower body from the upper body.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the upper body and lower body are of similar cross-section, the cross-section being one of: a circle, a square, a rectangle and a semi-circle.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the upper leg supports and lower leg supports are of similar cross-section, the cross-section being one of: a square, a rectangle and a semi-circle.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the lower body at least partially retractable into the upper body and further including a step of extending the lower body from the upper body.