Patent Application
20180252038
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.
The present invention relates generally to the field of portable supports of existing art and more specifically relates to elevated foot stands.
Many kinds of stools are known such as those resembling a simple box or step, those with a flat platform supported by three or four legs, those mounted on wheels or casters which retract when loaded, and many others including more complex varieties with two or more steps which swing or fold out when in use. All of these may be stood upon to assist a person in reaching high places such as top shelves. However, heretofore all have been subject to one or more disadvantages. If the stool is a small, simple platform, a user may lose his balance unless something external is available to be grasped. Additionally, when it is to be moved, one must bend down and pick it up. If it is mounted on spring biased casters it may tend to roll when in use. If the stool has many steps, such as a small ladder, it may be awkward to move. Many portable steps are compact and sturdy by nature, but require the use of a corner or multiple abutments to support the device. A suitable solution is desired.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,628,143 to Kristin Wald relates to a corner-braced, portable, foot prop. The described corner-braced, portable, foot prop includes a corner-braced foot prop including a shelf and an angled support post resting on a base surface to support a load in an elevated position. The shelf includes a clearance hole through which the post is positioned and gripped by the clearance hole when the shelf rotates with respect to the post. The foot prop utilizes surrounding walls for lateral support while providing increasing stability when loaded by downward force.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known portable supports art, the present disclosure provides a novel portable step device and method. The general purpose of the present disclosure, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a vertical elevation support that is portable, compact, and may allow a user to gain height against a support surface.
A portable step device is disclosed herein. The portable step device may include a step support surface with a top-side, the step support surface further having a surface-covering affixed to the top-side. The device may also feature a support rod having a length, a step-end, a base-end, a front-side and a back-side, where the support rod is fixed to the bottom-side of the step support surface and configured to elevate the step support surface away from a terrain. In addition, the device may include a base support surface having a support-rod side and a ground-side to provide stability for bracing the support rod and the step support surface on the terrain.
According to another embodiment, a method for using a portable step device is also disclosed herein. The method for using the portable step device includes providing a portable step device, placing the portable step device on the terrain, and stepping on the step support surface.
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.
The figures which accompany the written portion of this specification illustrate embodiments and methods of use for the present disclosure, a portable step device and method, constructed and operative according to the teachings of the present disclosure.
The various embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings, wherein like designations denote like elements.
As discussed above, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to portable supports and more particularly to a portable step device and method as used to provide a vertical elevation support that is portable, compact, and may allow a user to gain height against a support surface.
Generally, the present invention may provide users with a small stepping tool assisting in gaining vertical height from 24″ to a maximum of 34″. It may utilize sanded grip tape on the stepping plate to prevent slips and falls while using the device. It may also include reflective tape covering the front side of the rod/shaft to improve safety in low-light conditions. The portable step device may support a weight load of up to 500 lbs. The device may also allow people to gain a better view of elevated surfaces, benefiting maintenance workers, mechanics, police officers, and much more.
The device may include a rod-shaped support with a stepping plate installed on the top portion, functioning as a tool to gain a vertical height advantage without the need for a ladder. The step support surface may be configured to be generally rectangular in shape and include rounded edges for safety. The step support surface may include a step surface area that may be less than 50 square inches. Similarly, the base portion (or bottom support plate) may be of a smaller surface area than the step support surface. The device may comprise a steel top step plate and a bottom support plate welded together by a hollow down rod. The top plate may be covered with rubber traction tape and rubber leading edge for slip protection. The surface-covering of the step support surface may include a tread that is structured and arranged to provide traction.
The hollow down rod may include an adjustment hole and can be covered in reflective tape to improve safety. The hollow down rod (support rod) may also be telescoping in configuration and allow for manual adjustment from approximately 24 inches to 34 inches. The bottom steel plate may consist of at least three different bases that include: rubber, spikes, and an extreme hook grip.
Users can place the device against a flat surface in order to stabilize the top and bottom plates. Leaning the device forward against a wall may stabilize the device, allowing individuals to safely step onto the top plate. The device may be useful for seeing inside a vehicle's front hood, over top hedges and other landscaping locations, and more. In addition, police officers can use the device to look over walls while being armed—this gives the officer view of a location without making a lot of noise.
The device can be constructed using steel, rubber, and other suitable materials. The top plate may measure approximately 6″ in length and 8″ in width. The down rod may measure approximately 27″ in height. The bottom plate may measure approximately 2″ in length and 6″ in width. Exact size, measurement, construction, and design specifications may vary upon manufacturing.
Referring now more specifically to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in
According to one embodiment, the portable step device 100 may be arranged as a kit 105. In particular, the portable step device 100 may further include a set of instructions 107. The instructions 107 may detail functional relationships in relation to the structure of the portable step device 100 such that the portable step device 100 can be used, maintained, or the like, in a preferred manner.
Referring now to
Referring now to
It should be noted that step four 504 is an optional step and may not be implemented in all cases. Optional steps of method of use 500 are illustrated using dotted lines in
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.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/467,492 filed Mar. 6, 2017, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62467492 | Mar 2017 | US |
