Patent Application
20220257018
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The disclosure relates to chair devices and more particularly pertains to a new chair device for lifting one or both of a user's legs.
The prior art relates to chair devices including a variety of chairs that include a footrest that can be lifted or lowered. The prior art discloses a table that includes a pair of leg support that can each be independently positioned in a raised position or a lowered position. The prior art discloses a recliner device that includes a pair of thigh supports for supporting each a user's thighs. The prior art discloses a tattoo chair that includes a pair of leg supports that are each independently movable.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a reclining chair that has a backrest portion and a chair portion for having a user sit therein. A pair of footrests is each disposed on the chair portion of the reclining chair and each of the footrests is positionable in a lowered position or a raised position to raise the respective user's leg. Moreover, the pair of footrests is independently positionable in the raised position to facilitate one of the user's legs to be lifted while the other of the user's legs is not lifted. A pair of lifting units is each in mechanical communication with a respective one of the pair of footrests. Each of the lifting units independently urges the respective footrest into the raised position or the lowered position.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
Each of the footrests 22 is positionable in a lowered position having the footrests 22 lying against the chair portion 16. Each of the footrests 22 is positionable in a raised position to raise the respective user's leg, ankle or foot 24. Moreover, each of the footrests 22 can be positioned at any point between the lowered position and the raised position. The pair of footrests 22 is independently positionable in the raised position, or to any position between the raised position and the lowered position, to facilitate one of the user's legs 24 to be lifted while the other of the user's legs 24 is not lifted. In this way the user 15 can relieve symptoms of gout, for example, in one leg, ankle or foot 24 without requiring the other leg, ankle or foot 24 to be lifted. Each of the footrests 22 has a front side 26 and a back side 28, and the back side 28 of a respective footrest 22 rests against the forward surface 18 of the chair portion 16 when the respective footrest 22 is in the lowered position. Conversely, the front side 26 of a respective footrest 22 is oriented to lie on, or up to, a horizontal plane when the respective footrest 22 is positioned in the raised position or a partially raised position to lift the respective user's leg, ankle or foot 24.
A pair of lifting units 30 is integrated into the reclining chair 12 and each of the lifting units 30 is in mechanical communication with a respective one of the pair of footrests 22. Each of the lifting units 30 independently urges the respective footrest 22 into a chosen degree of the raised position when the lifting units 30 are actuated into a raising condition. Conversely, each of the lifting units 30 independently urges the respective footrest 22 into the lowered position, or partially lowered position, when the lifting units 30 are actuated into a lowering condition. Each of the lifting units 30 comprises a motor 32 that is integrated into the reclining chair 12, and the motor 32 rotates in a first direction or a second direction.
Each of the lifting units 30 includes a linkage 34 which comprises a plurality of members 35 that is each pivotally coupled together. The linkage 34 is coupled between the motor 32 and the back side 28 of a respective footrest 22. The linkage 34 is manipulated into a collapsed position when the motor 32 rotates in the first direction such that the linkage 34 pulls the respective footrest 22 against the forward surface 18 of the chair portion 16. Conversely, the linkage 34 is manipulated into an extended position, either partially or fully, when the motor 32 rotates in the second direction such that the linkage 34 pushes the respective footrest 22 away from the forward surface 18 of the chair portion 16. Additionally, the linkage 34 tilts the respective footrest 22 when the linkage 34 is manipulated into or toward the extended position thereby facilitating the front side 26 of the respective footrest 22 to lie on or toward the horizontal plane. The linkage 34 may be structured in a similar fashion to existing linkages that are currently employed on existing reclining chairs.
A control panel 36 is integrated into a respective one of the armrests 20 on the reclining chair 12 such that the control panel 36 is accessible to the user 15. The control panel 36 is in mechanical communication with each of the lifting units 30 and the control panel 36 independently actuates each of the lifting units 30 in the raising condition or the lowering condition. The control panel 36 includes a right button 38, a left button 40, a both button 42, a lift button 44 and a lower button 46. The control panel 36 is electrically coupled to the motor 32 included in each of the lifting units 30.
The right button 38 actuates the motor 32 included in a right hand side lifting unit 48 and the left button 40 actuates the motor 32 included in a left hand side lifting unit 50. The both button 42 actuates the motor 32 included in both of the right hand side lifting unit 48 and the left hand side lifting unit 50 to a selectable angle. The motor 32 that is actuated is turned on to rotate in the first direction when the lower button 46 is depressed. Conversely, the motor 32 that is actuated is turned on to rotate in the second direction when the lift button 44 is depressed. The control panel 36 may include a backrest button for adjusting the angle of the backrest portion 14. A power supply 52 is integrated into the reclining chair 12 and the power supply 52 is electrically coupled to the control panel 36. The power supply 52 may comprise at least one battery or the power supply 52 may comprise a power cord that can be plugged into a female electrical outlet.
In an alternative embodiment 54 as is most clearly shown in
In use, the user 15 sits in the reclining chair 12 and the user 15 depresses either the left button 40, the right button 38 or the both button 42, depending on whether the user 15 wishes to lift or raise their left leg, ankle or foot 24, their right leg, ankle or foot 24 or both legs 24. The user 15 depresses the lift button 44 to lift or raise whichever leg, ankle or foot 24 the user 15 wishes to lift. The user 15 depresses the lower button 46 to lower whichever leg, ankle or foot 24 was lifted. In this way the user 15 can lift or raise only one leg, ankle or foot 24 or both legs 24, depending on the user's 15 preference, for treating symptoms of gout, for example, that the user 15 might be suffering in only one leg, ankle or foot 24.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
