Patent Application
20210198904
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The disclosure relates to panel support devices and more particularly pertains to a new panel support device for positioning a panel for attachment to an overhead substrate.
The prior art relates to panel support devices. Prior art panel support devices may comprise one or two poles that are attached to a back of a vest, shoulder engaging brackets with a portion of the bracket above the head, and handheld or floor engaging poles with a panel support on an upper end of the pole
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a harness that is configured to position on and to couple to a torso of a user. Each of a pair of shoulder straps of the harness is positioned over a respective shoulder of the user. A pair of posts is coupled singly to the pair of shoulder straps. The posts are substantially parallel and substantially vertically positioned when the user is uprightly positioned. Each of a pair of plates is coupled to an upper end of a respective one of the pair of posts. The pair of plates is configured to support a panel, enabling the user to position the panel in abutment to an overhead substrate. Hands of the user remain free for fastening the panel to the substrate.
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
One coupler 20 of a pair of couplers 20 is engaged to one of the opposing termini 96 of the belt 16. The other coupler 20 of the pair of couplers 20 is slidably engaged to the belt 16 proximate to the other of the opposing termini 96. The couplers 20 are selectively mutually engageable and thus are configured to removably couple the belt 16 around the waist of the user. The pair of couplers 20 may comprise a waist side release buckle 22, or other coupling means, such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, tongue buckles, double ring buckles, and the like.
Each of a pair of cross straps 24 is coupled to and extends from a respective one of the pair of shoulder straps 14. One connector 26 of a pair of connectors 26 is engaged to one of the cross straps 24 distal from an associated shoulder strap 14. The other connector 26 of the pair of connectors 26 is slidably engaged to the other of the cross straps 24 distal from an associated shoulder strap 14. The connectors 26 are selectively mutually engageable and thus are configured to secure the pair of cross straps 24 across a chest of the user. The pair of connectors 26 may comprise a chest side release buckle 28, or other connecting means, such as, but not limited to, hook and loop fasteners, tongue buckles, double ring buckles, and the like.
A pair of posts 30 is coupled singly to the pair of shoulder straps 14. The posts 30 are substantially parallel and substantially vertically positioned when the user is uprightly positioned, as shown in
The lower section 38 has a set of first holes 40 positioned therein. The upper section 36 has a set of second holes 42 positioned therein. Respective ones of the first holes 40 are selectively alignable with respective ones of the second holes 42, positioning the respective ones of the first holes 40 and the respective ones of the second holes 42 for insertion of a post fastener 44 to fixedly position the upper section 36 relative to the lower section 38. The post fastener 44 may comprise a bolt 46 and a wingnut 48, or other fastening means, such as, but not limited to, thumbscrews, spring-loaded pins, and the like.
Each of a pair of bars 50 is coupled to a lower end 52 of a respective one of the posts 30. The bars 50 are arcuate so that each bar 50 is configured to insert a respective shoulder of the user as the harness 12 is donned by the user. Each bar 50 has a channel 54 that is positioned therethrough, with an associated shoulder strap 14 being positioned through the channel 54, as shown in
Each of a pair of pads 56 is coupled to a lower face 58 of a respective one of the bars 50. The pair of pads 56 is configured to cushion the pair of bars 50 on the shoulders of the user. The pads 56 comprise at least one of foamed elastomer, rubber, and silicone.
Each of a pair of plates 60 is coupled to an upper end 62 of a respective one of the pair of posts 30. The pair of plates 60 is configured to support a panel overhead, enabling the user to position the panel in abutment to the overhead substrate. Hands of the user remain free for fastening the panel to the substrate. The plates 60 may be rectangularly shaped, as shown in
Each of a pair of sheets 64 is coupled to an upper surface 66 of a respective one of the pair of plates 60. The sheets 64 comprise nonslip material and thus are configured to deter slippage of the panel that is positioned upon the pair of plates 60. The sheets 64 may comprise at least one of rubber, silicone, foamed elastomer, and cork, or other nonslip material, such as, but not limited to, sandpaper, pressure sensitive reversible adhesive, and the like.
A crossmember 68 is coupled to and extends between the upper sections 36 of the posts 30. The crossmember 68 is positioned to retain the posts 30 in a substantially parallel configuration. Each opposing endpoint 70 of the crossmember 68 has a pair of tabs 72 coupled thereto and extending therefrom, as shown in
The crossmember 68 comprises a first segment 82 that is selectively extensible from, and which is selectively engageable to, a second segment 84 so that the crossmember 68 is selectively length adjustable. This allows the posts 30 to be separated selectively to match a width of the shoulders of the user. The first segment 82 has a set of first orifices 86 positioned therein. The second segment 84 has a set of second orifices 88 positioned therein. Respective ones of the first orifices 86 are selectively alignable with respective ones of the second orifices 88, positioning the respective ones of the first orifices 86 and the respective ones of the second orifices 88 for insertion of a medial fastener 90 to fixedly position the first segment 82 relative to the second segment 84. The medial fastener 90 may comprise a medial thumbscrew 92 and a medial nut 94, or other fastening means, such as, but not limited to, bolts and wingnuts, spring-loaded pins, and the like.
In use, the harness 12 is donned by the user with the chest side release buckle 28 and the waist side release buckle 22 being engaged to secure the harness 12 to the user.
The posts 30 extend above the head of the user so that the panel can be supported upon the pair of plates 60. The user thus is positioned to motivate the panel upwardly into abutment with the overhead substrate, typically joists or framing, while the hands of the user remain free to fasten the panel to the overhead substrate.
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 elements is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
