Support apparatus

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6517586
  • Patent Number
    6,517,586
  • Date Filed
    Monday, December 18, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, February 11, 2003
    21 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Snow; Bruce
    Agents
    • Bacon & Thomas, PLLC
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)
Number Name Date Kind
1905112 Lang Apr 1933 A
2057013 Curtis Oct 1936 A
3102272 Emmert Sep 1963 A
3346882 Wilhoyte Oct 1967 A
3626519 Baker Dec 1971 A
3902199 Emmert Sep 1975 A
5645515 Armstrong et al. Jul 1997 A