AU9702901A - Arm rest apparatus - Google Patents

Description

P/00/011 Regulation 3.2 COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA SEC Patents Act 1990 113 j COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDA _NT Michae Al;ttr Rockc Name of Applicant: eClit.ffrd eyril web Actual Inventor(s): Clifford Cyril Webb Address for Service: AHEARN FOX Patent Trade Mark Attorneys GPO Box 1149 Brisbane Queensland 4001 Invention Title: "ARM REST APPARATUS" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: -1- ARM REST APPARATUS This invention relates to arm rest apparatus. The invention has particular application to arm rest apparatus for seats and seating positions which do not have arm rests. However, the invention is not limited to this field of use.

Chairs have been provided for use in domestic, commercial, industrial and transportation environments for a very long time, and sometimes, they have arm rests. For the elderly or disabled, it can be quite uncomfortable for a chair or seat not to have arm 10 rests, and there could even be medical conditions where a patient could suffer significant discomfort if seated without the benefit of supporting structures for their arms.

The present invention aims to provide arm rest apparatus which alleviates one or more of the above disadvantages. Other .e..ei objects and advantages of the invention may become apparent from the following description.

With the foregoing in view, the present invention resides broadly in arm rest apparatus including: a frame having a supporting porticn arranged for operative association with a seat, one or two arm rest supporting portions for supporting one or two respective arm resting pads, and connecting means operatively connecting the arm rest supporting portion or portions to the supporting portion whereby the arm resting pad or pads are supported in operative juxtaposition with the seat or seating position for support of the arm or arms of a user when seated in the seat.

The seat may be a chair or stool, but is also to be taken to include a seating position, such as a bed, lounge, cushion or -2such like, as well as a floor or suitable ground surface whereby a user seated in any location may be afforded with preferably both arms supported on the arm resting pads.

The frame preferably includes a backrest supporting portion for supporting a backrest pad in operative juxtaposition with respect to the arm rest pad or pads such that where the arm rest apparatus of the present invention is used in respect of seating positions which are not chairs with a back of their own, the user is provided with a backrest for use if required or desired by the 10 user. In such form, the backrest pad partly constitutes part of the connecting means. It will be appreciated that the arm rest apparatus may be provided without the back rest and in such form, a rearward connecting portion may be provided between the two rear portions of the frame in the form of one or more webs, 15 struts or the like.

In a preferred form, the supporting portion of the frame comprises three sides of a square or rectangle which would normally be oriented substantially horizontally in use with the open side thereof to the front, and the two arm rest supporting portions comprise two opposed sides of another square or rectangle of similar dimensions to the supporting portion, the arm rest supporting portions each being held spaced from a respective side of the supporting portion by a portion of the frame constituting a forward connecting portion extending between the forward end of the supporting portion and the forward end of the arm rest supporting portion. In such form, the rearward ends of the arm rest supporting portions are interconnected to one another by a rearward connecting portion comprising the third -3side of the square or rectangle occupied by the arm rest supporting portions, and a backrest pad is attached to the rear side of both three-sided squares or rectangles at a similar spaced relationship to that accommodated by the forward connecting portions. Suitably, arm resting pads are mounted to the upper sides of the arm rest supporting portions of the frame.

Preferably, the two spaced apart, three-sided squares or rectangles and the two forward supporting portions constitute a unitary frame.

9999 0 Supporting web means may be provided in operative association with the supporting portion of the frame, extending *999 from one side of the supporting portion to the other whereby the frame may be supported on a seating position of narrower width that the spacing between the sides of the supporting portion.

9~o 15 Preferably, the supporting web means is in the form of a single rigid web or sheet operatively attached to the sides of the supporting portion of the frame.

Tray frame supporting means may also be provided in operative association with the arm resting portions for supporting a tray frame. The tray frame may support a tray or the like.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate one or more preferred embodiments of the invention and wherein: Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of arm rest apparatus according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a pictorial view showing detail of the connection arrangement for a tray supporting frame on the arm rest apparatus of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a pictorial view of the arm rest apparatus of Fig. 1 but having a tray supporting frame added but the seat and supporting web removed; and Fig. 4 is a pictorial view of the arm rest apparatus according to the invention showing a tray supported on the tray supporting frame.

0 The arm rest apparatus 10 shown in Fig. 1 is similar to the arm rest apparatus 10a and 10b shown in Figs. 3 and 4 respectively, wherein the same parts (where provided) are given the same reference numerals. In each example, the arm rest apparatus has a frame 11 having a supporting portion 12 comprising three substantially straight sides of a rectangle which is substantially horizontal in its normal orientation. The two opposed sides of the supporting portion are interconnected by a connecting arm 18. Two arm rest portions 13 are supported substantially parallel to and above the sides of the supporting portion and connected thereto by respective forward connecting portions 14 which are semicircular in form extending substantially vertically from the axis of the sides of the supporting portion to the axis of the respective arm rest portions. The arm rest portions are connected to one another at the rear of the arm rest apparatus by a rearward connecting portion 15, thus forming three sides of another rectangle similar to that forming the supporting portion. In each case, the corners connecting the sides of the rectangles are rounded as shown typically at 25. The frame is in the form of a unitary frame bent to shape and formed from circular section hollow tubing to afford the frame light weight construction without substantially compromising the strength of the frame.

A back rest 17 extends from connecting portion of the supporting arm up to and beyond the rearward connecting portion The rearward connecting portion is arranged to be slightly behind and above the connecting arm so that the backrest is sloped at an appropriate angle to vertical.

10 Two arm rest pads 20 are provided, one on each arm rest portion of the frame, and are each mounted thereto by way of a sleeve 21 which is fixed to the frame by two screws shown typically at 22 which pass through the frame and into the arm rest pad, the screw heads being located with respect to the sleeve and tube of the frame diametrically opposite the arm rest pad.

A supporting web 31 is provided extending between the sides of the supporting portion of the frame in the form of a rigid board of rectangular form with rounded corners and of appropriate dimensions for extending between the sides of the supporting portion and for supporting a seat pad 32.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, a tray frame 41 may be attached to the arm rest apparatus by way of a pair of mounting lugs shown typically at 48 mounted to the sleeve to which the arm rest pads are mounted. The relative forward and rearward position of the tray frame may be adjusted by sliding the two side arms 42 in an axial direction in respect of a tray frame sleeve 47 held by the mounting lugs. A short length PVC tubing -6is placed over the sleeve to provide a secondary support 23 for supporting the arm rest pads against rotation on the frame. The tray frame is substantially rectangular in form with two rounded corners shown typically at 49 so that the two side arms 42 are spaced and parallel and interconnected by a front arm 43 which is substantially parallel to a rear arm 44.

Four tray supporting pads shown typically at 46 are mounted to each of the front arm and rear arm of the tray frame for supporting a tray 45 across the rectilinear space defined by the 10 side arms, front arm and rear arm. The side arms extend rearward from the rear arm so that the rectilinear space (and tray mounted thereon) are supported in a cantilever fashion out to the front "of the arm rest apparatus.

The arm rest portions of the arm rest apparatus are supported in a rigid beam like support fashion between the forward connecting portions and the back rest to afford the assembled apparatus reasonable rigidity and strength.

In use, the arm rest apparatus of the present invention may be placed on a bed or other seating surface for use by a person requiring or desiring their arms to be supported by the arm rest pads. Where the arm rest apparatus is provided without the supporting web and seat pad, arrangements must be made to prevent the arm rest apparatus sliding rearward when the user leans on or rests against the back rest.

For convenience, the tray frame and tray may be provided for the user to support food, reading material or other items of convenience. It is preferred that one of the side arms is longer than the other as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The seat pad, arm rest -7with a suitable covering and padding or boarding material. The a frame is typically constructed from anodised high tensile 16 mm by 1.6 mm gage aluminium tubing, with 20 mm diameter by 1.6 mm gage tubing being used for the sleeves.

The back rest is preferably formed from 3-ply base with ply for the arm rest pads, in each case being covered with heavy duty foam for the padding and a washable vinyl covering. The tray supporting pads are preferably formed from PVC tube portions mounted over the front and rear arms of the tray frame.

10 The uneven lengths of the side arms of the tray frame is to enable the easy mounting of the tray frame to the respective sleeves under the arm rest pads so that one side arm can be mounted before the other and also so thaL one arm can be slid out from its sleeve and since the other is retained in its sleeve, ooe..i 15 this will enable the tray frame to be pivoted out of the way of the user without disconnecting it from the arm rest apparatus altogether. The tray supporting pads and the tray may be provided with hook and loop fastener materials so that the tray is securely fastened to the tray frame.

Although the invention has been described with reference to one or more specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms which fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims (7)

1. 2. Arm rest apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the frame .oeeoi includes a backrest supporting portion for supporting a backrest pad in operative juxtaposition with respect to the arm rest pad or pads.
2. 3. Arm rest apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the supporting portion of the frame comprises three sides of a square or rectangle and the two arm rest supporting portions comprise two opposed sides of another square or rectangle of similar dimensions to the supporting portion, the arm rest supporting portions each being held spaced from a respective side of the supporting portion by a portion of the frame constituting a forward connecting portion extending between the forward end of the supporting portion and the forward end of the arm rest supporting portion. -9-
3. 4. Arm rest apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein the rearward ends of the arm rest supporting portions are interconnected to one another by a rearward connecting portion comprising the third side of the square or rectangle occupied by the arm rest supporting portions, and a backrest pad is attached to the rear side of both three-sided squares or rectangles at a similar spaced relationship to that accommodated by the forward connecting portions. 1 0 5. Arm rest apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein arm resting S"pads are mounted to the upper sides of the arm rest supporting oooo portions of the frame, the frame being a unitary frame constituted by two spaced apart, three-sided squares or rectangles interconnected at their respective open sides by the two forward supporting portions.
4. 6. Arm rest apparatus according to any one of the preceding oo oI claims, and including supporting web means in operative association with the supporting portion of the frame, extending from one side of the supporting portion to the other whereby the frame may be supported on a seating position of narrower width that the spacing between the sides of the supporting portion.
5. 7. Arm rest apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the supporting web means is in the form of a single rigid web or sheet operatively attached to the sides of the supporting portion of the frame.
6. 8. Arm rest apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, and including tray frame supporting means in operative association with the arm resting portions for supporting a tray frame.
7. 9. Arm rest apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the accompanying dra Dated this 3 d day of December, 200 eI iFFERD CYRIL w;BBB~'he./) k 10 by his Patent Attorneys AHEARN FOX