US20020140259A1

US20020140259A1 - Spring biased contoured seat and rotatable stool

Info

Publication number: US20020140259A1
Application number: US09/732,082
Authority: US
Inventors: M. Wiegand
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-04-02
Filing date: 2001-04-02
Publication date: 2002-10-03

Abstract

A lightweight, rollable, spring biased, and swivable stool, resting upon a series of casters, allows a user to seat upon the seat portion of the stool, and yet maintain a semi-standing position, so as to maneuver the stool from side to side, circularly, and to provide spring bias cushioning, for a castered seat that accommodates the user in the semi-standing position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to a unique spring biased seat, and yet retain swivable characteristics, and secured upon an adjustable base mounted on casters, to provide for maneuverability.

Various styles of chairs, or even stools, have been provided in the prior art that furnish a chair mounted upon casters, for movement, and which include at its upper end a seating arrangement to allow the occupant to rest, and be supported, during usage. More specifically, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,372, to Long, shows such a rollable stool. This particular prior art shows the use of a tripodal, rollable stool provided with low friction casters, and has a bicycle seat at its upper end. But, while the seat may be adjusted, there is no provision for providing the cushioning effect, nor to allow for its swiveling during its application and usage.

The current invention provides further modifications and improvements to the style of prior art seat as shown in this earlier patent, in order to further enhance the comfort of the user, and maneuverability, when the stool of this invention is employed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates principally to a spring biased stool that is mounted upon wheeled casters, and which is swivel in construction, in addition to having adjustability, to provide a full service chair for application by the active user, who will need to swivel in the chair during its occupancy, and at the same time desires comfort during usage.

This invention relates to a rollable, yet stationary stool for totally supporting a person in a semi-seating position, or even while the person is somewhat standing, and yet needs some degree of support, during performance of a task or while working. This invention relates to a standard, which is adjustable heightwise, and at its lower end includes either a tripod or multistructured legs that radiate from the standard, and mount casters at their outer ends, to facilitate the portability and rollability of this stool, during usage. The standard is adjustable, and can be loosened to either raise or lower its height, to suit an d accommodate the worker, or person using the chair, even when in a semi-standing position. The standard includes a central bore provided at least at its upper region, and furnishes facing upwardly a pivotal surface that facilitates the swivel of the mounted seat. The seat itself may be a standard type of seat, but preferably may include a bicycle style of seat, and which includes a support rod extending downwardly therefrom. The rod has secured upwardly from its bottom edge a spring, which may be mounted thereto by any means of fastening, or be welded thereto. The bottom of the seat supporting rod extends below the spring, and is designed for being inserted into and accommodated within the bore of the standard, as previously described, so that when the rod is fully inserted therein, the bottom of the spring comes to rest upon the pivotal surface, provided at the upper end of the standard, and therefore allows the seat to swivel in place, and at the same time, achieve cushioning through the resiliency of the spring, during usage and application of the seat.

It is therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a stool that allows a person seated thereon to be in semi-standing position, that is reasonably cushioned by means of the bias of a spring, and which has swiveling motion from side to side, to accommodate movement by the user, during application.

Another object of this invention is to provide a swivable and spring biased seat to allow individuals that need to be in a somewhat standing position during usage, and to move about in a small area, during its usage and application.

Another object of this invention is to provide a lightweight, rollable stool that can be used by a worker while performing, for example, during assembly line operation, or can be used by a clerk at a check-out counter, or employed, for example, even by the homemaker, when working at a counter, but needs a reasonable degree of height over the work area, to officially perform.

Another object of this invention is to provide a stool mounted on casters that has a degree of limited rollability.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a rollable stool that also incorporates the principal of swivel.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a rollable stool that is spring biased to add cushioning to its supporting seat, even one that may be similar and equivalent to the design of a bicycle seat.

These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of the invention provided herein, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment, in view of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In referring to the drawings: [0013]
FIG. 1 provides a perspective view of the spring biased contoured seat and rotatable stool of this invention; [0014]
FIG. 2 is a view of the upper section of the stool, disclosing a seat, the seat supporting rod, and its biasing spring as mounted thereto; [0015]
FIG. 3 discloses the locking feature which when released provides for adjustment to the elevation of the seat of this invention; and [0016]
FIG. 4 discloses an alternative castered base for the seat of this invention.[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In referring to the drawings, and in particular FIG. 1, there is shown the [0018] seat assembly 1 of this invention. It includes a seat 2, upon which the user may rest, and it may be designed even in the configuration of the standard bicycle seat, in order to facilitate the user to posture himself/herself in a semi-standing position, while partially supported upon the stool of this invention. The stool includes a standard 3, which is either hollow, or includes a bore 4 at its upper end, while the lower part of the standard 3 locates within a mounting sleeve 5 which is integrally secured within a base 6. The base includes a series of radiating legs 7, which at their outer ends each supports a caster 8, to provide maneuverability and rollability to this stool, when used. The sleeve 5 threadedly engages a fastener 9, incorporating its lever, as can be seen, and when the lever is pivoted in one direction, it becomes loosened from its binding engagement against the lower part of the standard 3, and thereby allows the standard, and its supported seat 2, to be raised or lowered, relative to the base. This is an adjustable feature that allows for the stool to be elevated, or lowered, to accommodate the size of the person utilizing the same.
The [0019] seat 2 itself rigidly connects with a supporting rod 10, as upon its underside, by means of the mounting sleeve 11, as shown. Secured to the seat rod 10 is a spring 12, of a reasonable degree of resiliency, and is held in position at its upper end by means of a fastener, or a weld 13, as shown. The bottom of the end extends into the upper bore 4 of the standard 3, for some distance, so that it cannot be removed, except after being withdrawn for some distance. The upper end of the standard 3 includes a bearing surface 14, and it is upon this surface that the bottom 15 of the spring rests, when the seat is mounted upon the standard. Thus, as can be readily determined, the seat not only can swivel by means of its support rod, turning within the standard 3, and it turns with some degree of friction, because the lower end of the spring, as at 15, slides upon this upper bearing surface 14 of the standard 3. Obviously, the spring, at this position, or at the location of its bottom spiral, will flatten out, in order to furnish a bearinglike means for resting upon the surface 14 of the standard. Hence, the seat can be swiveled, under this construction, to allow the user to pivot from side to side, as desired. As an alternative, the bottom of the spring 12, may weld as at its bottom spiral 15 directly to the upper surface of the standard 3, and in this connection, provides just a resilient amount of turning, against the bias of the spring, but the swivel provided herein is very limited, as can be understood, and is controlled by the strength of the attached spring. Nevertheless, some slight amount of pivot may be obtained, while at the same time, the resiliency of the spring allows for slight upward and downward movement, due to its inherent resiliency. As can be understood, since the spring incorporates some degree of inherent resiliency, therefore, this allows the seat to be mounted in a cushioned manner, verticalwise, during application and usage by the user.
FIG. 3 discloses the locking feature between the standard [0020] 3 and the mounting sleeve 5, as previously referred to, and it can be seen that the fastening means 9 includes a lever like portion 16, which has integrally extending perpendicularly or laterally therefrom, a threaded fastener 17 which threads into a threaded bore 18 provided through the upper end of the mounting sleeve 5, such that when the lever 16 is fully turned, the threaded member 17 engages against the surface of the lower end of the standard 3, to fix the two components in position, once the seat has been adjusted, heightwise, to accommodate its user.
In addition, the lower end or [0021] base 18 of the stool may be formed integrally, shaped into a tripod configuration, as can be seen through the various legs 19, and support a series of casters 20 thereunder, for maneuverability.
Variations or modifications to the subject matter of this invention may occur to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the description of the preferred embodiment as provided herein. Such variations, if within the spirit of this development, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention as described herein. The description of the preferred embodiment is set forth herein for illustrative purposes only. [0022]
FIG. 2[0023]
A seat base, spring loaded in the rear, with a steel spring welded to a centrally located pole, top and bottom. The post inside the spring is separate, yet supports the seat for both pivotal and vertical displacement. A seat base with a gel-seat encapsulating it, to provide ultimate comfort and enable a person to be supported while standing. [0024]
FIG. 3[0025]
A steel, heavy-duty clamp to rotate into post mentioned in FIG. 2, thereby securing the post at whatever height a person might need. The height can be adjusted between 32″ and 37″. A clamp to turn downward to loosen, adjust pole and seat accordingly, and to turn back up to secure pole. [0026]

Claims

I claim:

1. A statement in regard to said “stand-ease” CHAIR: a spring-based rod placed at the top of a ¾″ wide rod and to serve as a swivelling process for the bicycle seat.

2. I claim wherein said bicycle seat is placed on top of the rod.

3. I claim a foot rest to be included on any two base-spokes located next to each other, in a rectangular metal shape, 2 inches by 3 inches and attached to the base spokes.

4. I claim a clamp attached to the chair rod that can be manually tightened and loosened to hold the rod at whatever allowed height (up to 45 inches) a person might choose.

5. I claim a leather or vinyl bicycle seat filled with gel up to 50% of the seat to allow complete seating comfort for anyone sitting on the chair.

6. A chair that disengages into three portable parts and can be carried thusly in its own portable environmentally friendly bag.

7. An added optional part, a spring-based bottom of rod, extending through wheel-spoke base and reaching the floor to stabilize the chair more. It could include a rubber cap-shaped bumper (to discourage moving of chair).

8. An optional no-spring based rod-bottom that simply ends into the wheel's/spoke base to allow chair to be mobil.

9. The afore mentioned chair rod of claim 1 may also simply go through a hole at the base of the chair, with the rubber bumper covering the ends to prevent floor damage; it would also solidify the chair to remain motionless.