Information
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Patent Grant
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6517586
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Patent Number
6,517,586
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Date Filed
Monday, December 18, 200024 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, February 11, 200321 years ago
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Inventors
-
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Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A support structure having a shoe platform and a floor platform, with the said shoe platform and floor platform movably conjoined, and retained by a sprung component, to a set of supports. Moreover, there are a plurality of leg section supports that are coupled to one of the supports by means of a pivot sleeve having an axial hole and a locating mount. Movably conjoined between the leg section supports is an adjustable calf harness consisting of two adjoined fittings. The shoe platform includes heel rest consisting of a stop mount and a slide mount having selectable position mounting holes. Disposed on the shoe platform are clasp mounts for the positioning of toe straps and strap fastener as well as ankle straps and strap fasteners into shoe platform clasp slots.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to a support apparatus that addresses variances in the physical constitution of different work personnel by allowing adjustments for calf and sole length, morphology, and dimensions.
2) Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,515 provides an elevated support apparatus that enables a person to undertake construction in high places; the structure, as indicated in
FIG. 1
, of the said support apparatus
1
is equipped with a shoe platform
11
and a floor platform
12
, and the shoe platform
11
and floor platform
12
are movably conjoined to a set of supports
13
; support mounts
131
,
132
, and
133
are maintained on a center rod
134
by elastic components
135
and
136
; a leg section support
14
is movably conjoined to one of the supports
13
by a fixing mount
15
, and a collar mount
16
couples the shoe platform
11
; the shoe platform
11
has disposed on it a toe strap
171
and an ankle strap
172
, and the leg section support
14
has disposed on it a calf support
18
and a calf strap
19
; during utilization, the soles of the feet are situated on the shoe platform
11
such that the calf is against the calf support
18
, following which the toe strap
171
, the ankle strap
172
, and then the calf strap
19
are tightened; however, relying on only a single support
13
easily leads to injury or instability; furthermore, since the calf support
18
on the support
13
is incapable of being adjusted for the differences in calf size among individuals, strapping to the calf support
18
could cause inconvenience or discomfort; when a rest break is taken and the apparatus has to worn once again, the location of the soles may change and the toe strap
171
, ankle strap
172
, and the calf strap
19
must be re-adjusted, a time-consuming task that is bothersome and impractical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the invention herein is to provide an improved support apparatus comprised of a shoe platform and a floor platform, with the said shoe platform and floor platform movably conjoined, and retained by a sprung component, to a set of supports such that the leg section support is moved through the said axial hole, the extending locating mount is positioned into a mounting bracket at the side of the shoe platform, and the fastening component is inserted onto the mounting bracket and the locating mount to thereby appropriately position both the pivot sleeve and the leg section support on the mounting bracket; movably conjoined between the leg section supports is an adjustable calf harness consisting of two adjoined fittings; the said shoe platform includes a heel rest consisting of a stop mount and a slide mount having selectable position mounting holes; and disposed at the same time on the shoe platform are toe straps and ankle straps, with each having clasp mounts that are respectively positioned into the area of the shoe platform clasp slots, and the toe straps and ankle straps are inserted into a respective corresponding toe strap buckle and ankle strap buckle; and a strap fastener is situated on the toe strap buckle and ankle strap buckle and the said strap fasteners are similarly equipped with clasp mounts that are positioned into the clasp slot area of the shoe platform.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other features and advantages of the invention herein shall become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, with reference to the drawings below, in which:
FIG. 1
is an isometric drawing of a conventional support apparatus.
FIG. 2
is an isometric drawing of the support apparatus in the preferred embodiment of the invention herein.
FIG. 3
is an isometric drawing of the heel rest structure in the preferred embodiment of the invention herein.
FIG. 4
is an isometric drawing of the pivot sleeve structure in the preferred embodiment of the invention herein.
FIG. 5
is an orthographic drawing of the calf harness structure in the preferred embodiment of the invention herein.
FIG. 6
is an invisible drawing of the insert mount structure in the preferred embodiment of the invention herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, similar elements are indicated by the same series of reference numerals throughout the disclosure.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, in the preferred embodiment of the invention herein, the support structure
2
includes a shoe platform
21
and a floor platform
22
, with the shoe platform
21
and floor platform
22
movably conjoined to a set of supports
23
. The shoe platform
21
and the floor platform
22
are generally maintained as a parallel, quadrilateral structure relative to the supports
23
, and situated on the supports
23
are abutments
231
,
232
, and
233
as well as a center rod
234
and elastic retaining components
235
and
236
that provide for the flexible canting of the supports
23
. Two leg sections supports
24
are coupled to one of the supports
23
and the shoe platform
21
, wherein each leg section support
24
is movably conjoined via a fixing mount
25
to the support
23
and is each connected via a pivot sleeve
26
to the shoe platform
21
. Installed on the shoe platform
21
is a toe strap
270
and a toe strap buckle
271
as well as an ankle strap
272
and an ankle strap buckle
273
that provides for tightening down the sole of the feet and, disposed at one end of the shoe platform
21
is a heel rest
28
, and a calf harness
29
is installed between the two leg section supports
24
.
The toe strap
270
and toe strap buckle
271
each have a T-shaped clasp mount
274
and
275
that are respectively positioned into the area of a clasp slot
211
and
212
of the shoe platform
21
, and the toe strap buckle
271
is of a curved profile; additionally, equipped on both the toe strap buckle
271
and the ankle strap buckle
273
is a strap fastener
276
and
277
that similarly have a T-shaped clasp mount
278
and
279
which are positioned into the area of a clasp slot
213
and
214
of the shoe platform
21
; and the structure of the toe strap buckle
271
and the ankle strap buckle
273
is similar in arrangement to that of the insert mount
32
on the calf harness
29
.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, the heel rest
28
disposed at one end of the shoe platform
21
consists of a vertically situated curved stop mount
281
and a slide mount
282
movably conjoined onto the shoe platform
21
; the slide mount
282
has numerous mounting holes
283
and fastening components
284
can be selectively screw fastened into any of the mounting holes
284
as per requirements.
Referring to
FIG. 4
, the said two leg section supports
24
consist of square cut-surfaced tubing with a square axial hole
261
through the center of its pivot sleeve
26
, with the pivot sleeve
26
having a locating mount
262
extending into a mounting bracket
263
; a fastening component
264
is inserted through the elongated hole
265
of the mounting bracket
263
and the locating mount
262
protruding from the pivot sleeve
26
such that the pivot sleeve
26
can be appropriately positioned on a leg section support
24
by securing the mounting bracket
263
.
Referring to
FIG. 5
, the calf harness
29
consists of two semicircular adjoined fittings
291
; each adjoined fitting
291
has disposed at their concave profiled back portion a mounting sleeve
292
movably conjoined longitudinally onto a leg section support
24
, the concave profile openings are of a mutually facing arrangement and, furthermore, on the mounting sleeve
292
is a fastening component
293
that is screwed against the side of the leg section support
24
such that the adjoined fittings
291
are secured into position on the leg section support
24
; each adjoined fitting
291
consists of a front adjoined fitting
294
situated at the anterior end and a rear adjoined fitting
295
situated at the posterior end, with both movably conjoined by a hinge section
296
; the rear adjoined fitting
295
and the mounting sleeve
292
are a single physical entity and the front adjoined fitting
294
can be lifted open; the front adjoined fitting
294
and the rear adjoined fitting
295
have along their outer sides a curved plate
297
constructed of a relatively hard material and along the inner sides of the concave is a protective padding
298
made of a soft material; aligned on each of the two rear adjoined fittings
295
are a plurality of upper and lower arrayed through-holes
299
that are secured together in an overlapping arrangement by a first fastening component
31
; furthermore, at the aligned side of the two front adjoined fittings
294
is a second fastening component
32
that secures this area, which also includes a strap fastener
321
and an insert mount
322
, the strap fastener
321
having a T-shaped clasp mount
323
that is positioned into the area of the clasp slot
324
formed in the front adjoined fitting
294
; and the insert mount
322
is fixed into position onto the plate
297
of the other front adjoined fitting
294
.
Referring to
FIG. 6
, the said insert mount
322
has movably situated inside a rack piece
325
that is utilized in conjunction with an elastic component
326
which engages the toothed section
327
of the rack piece
325
in the insert mount
322
and, furthermore, engagement is released by the operation a swinging body
328
outside the insert mount
322
.
In terms of utilization, the front adjoined fitting
294
is first lifted open for placement around the calf and, furthermore, the two adjoined fittings
291
are moved up and down the leg section supports
24
to find an appropriate position and then the fastening component
293
is screwed in to fix the position; after adjusting the stop mount
281
of the heel rest
28
against the heel, the fastening components
284
are fastened in the appropriate mounting holes
283
; following which the two pivot sleeves
26
are moved and positioned together on the leg section supports
24
and secured by the mounting bracket
263
at an appropriate position; the first fastening component
31
is adjusted so that the calf is comfortably contained within the calf harness
29
; after which the toe strap
270
and toe strap buckle
271
as well as the ankle strap
272
and an ankle strap buckle
273
are utilized to tighten down the soles of the feet, and then strap fasteners
321
and the insert mounts
322
of the front adjoined fittings
294
are firmly inserted.
In the invention herein, the structure of the preferred embodiment has the following advantages:
1. The design of the two sets of leg section supports
24
preclude calf slippage and injury of working personnel, the stability achieved preventing occupational injury.
2. The calf harness
29
are movable in position up and down the leg section support
24
to accommodate the varying calf lengths of different working personnel.
3. The leg section supports
24
are square tubing with simple matching pivot sleeves
26
, the design of which is simpler in structure than the conventional collar mount
16
and the pivot sleeves
26
can be simply positioned at an appropriate place along the leg section supports
24
on the mounting bracket
263
.
4. The adjustability of the heel rest
28
solves the problem of the heel slipping backwards, while providing usability by different working personnel.
5. After the two rear adjoined fittings
295
are adjusted and tightly secured by the first fastening component
31
, the same worker can wear and re-wear the apparatus many times, and following the placement of the calf into the two rear adjoined fittings
295
simply slip the strap fasteners
321
into the insert mounts
322
to rapidly wear the apparatus comfortably.
6. The toe strap
270
and the toe strap buckle
271
as well as the ankle strap
272
and the ankle strap buckle
273
can be securely positioned rapidly and easily.
While the present invention has been described in relation to what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that the invention herein shall not be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but is intended to cover the various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretations and equivalent arrangements.
Claims
- 1. A support structure comprising:a shoe platform and a floor platform, with the shoe platform and the floor platform movably conjoined, and retained by a spring component to a set of supports; the shoe platform and the floor platform are generally maintained as a parallel, quadrilateral structure relative to the supports and a pair of leg section supports are coupled to a first one the supports and the shoe platform, the leg section supports extend from one of the supports and the leg section supports are substantially parallel to each other; a calf harness is installed between the leg supports, the calf harness comprises two semicircular adjoined fittings that are each attached to a respective one of the leg section supports and the fittings are each opposingly aligned and movably conjoined longitudinally onto one of the leg section supports, and fastening components are secured into position on the leg section supports.
- 2. The support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the adjoined fitting comprises a front adjoined fitting situated at the anterior end thereof and a rear adjoined fitting situated at the posterior end thereof, the fittings are movably conjoined by a hinge section, the rear adjoined fitting and a mounting sleeve are united as one, and the mounting sleeve is movably conjoined to the leg section support.
- 3. The support structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the fastening component is installed onto the mounting sleeve.
- 4. The support structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rear adjoined fittings have a plurality of upper and lower arrayed through-holes that are secured together in an overlapping arrangement by a first fastening component.
- 5. The support structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein at the aligned side of the two of the front adjoined fittings there is a second fastening component that secures this area.
- 6. The support structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second fastening component includes a strap fastener and an insert mount, the strap fastener has situated on it a clasp mount that is positioned into the area of a clasp slot formed in the front adjoined fitting; and the insert mount is situated on the strap fastener and the strap fastener similarly has a T-shaped clasp mount that is positioned into the area of the clasp slot formed in the front adjoined fitting.
- 7. The support structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein the insert mount has movably situated inside a rack piece that is utilized in conjunction with an elastic component which engages a toothed section of a rack piece in the insert mount and, engagement is released by the operation of a swinging body outside the insert mount.
- 8. The support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front adjoined fitting and the rear adjoined fitting have along their outer sides a curved plate constructed of a relatively hard material and along their inner sides is a protective padding made of a soft material.
- 9. The support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leg section supports comprises square cut-surfaced tubing.
- 10. The support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the leg section support is coupled to one of the supports and the shoe platform by the pivot sleeve having an axial hole and the locating mount such that the leg section support is moved through the axial hole, and an extending locating mount is positioned into a mounting bracket at the side of the shoe platform, and the fastening component is inserted onto the mounting bracket and the locating mount to thereby appropriately position both the pivot sleeve and the leg section support on the mounting bracket.
- 11. The support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein disposed at one end of the shoe platform is a heel rest comprising a stop mount and a slide mount on the shoe platform; and the slide mount comprises a plurality of mounting holes and the fastening components can be selectively fixed in the mounting holes.
- 12. The support structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein installed on the shoe platform is a toe strap and an ankle strap, the toe strap and the ankle strap are each respectively positioned into an area of clasp slots of the shoe platform, and the toe strap and the ankle strap are each respectively inserted into a corresponding toe strap buckle and an ankle strap buckle; and equipped on both the toe strap buckle and the ankle strap buckle is a strap fastener, and the strap fastener is positioned into an area of the clasp mounts of the shoe platform.
US Referenced Citations (7)