Supports – Stand – Horizontally movable support surface
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-15
2001-12-18
Barfield, Anthony D. (Department: 3636)
Supports
Stand
Horizontally movable support surface
C248S430000, C297S216180, C297S344100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330994
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of support apparatus and, more particularly, to improved adjustable support apparatus and improved architecture for effecting adjustment of support apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The relative comfort and safety of vehicle driver and passenger seats depends largely on the skeletons or frameworks defining the shape and form of the seats and the adjustment mechanisms for allowing the seats to be adjusted to accommodate users of varying size. Although current frameworks prove exemplary for accommodating comfort and safety, current adjustment assemblies continually fail to withstand the rigors of everyday use and often succumb to the loads normally occasioned in vehicular accidents which often contributes or exacerbates driver and/or passenger injury.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide improved adjustable support apparatus and an improved architecture for effecting adjustment of support apparatus.
It is a provision of the present invention to increase the safety and comfort of vehicular driver and passenger seats such as those found in automobiles, airplanes, boats, etc.
It is another provision of the present invention to increase the ease and efficiency of adjusting adjustable support apparatus.
It is still another purpose of the present invention to provide new and improved adjustable support apparatus that is easy to construct.
It is a further purpose of the present invention to provide new and improved adjustable support apparatus that is inexpensive.
It is still a further purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved rack and pinion adjustment assembly for adjusting body-supporting apparatus in reciprocal directions.
It is yet still a further purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved belt and drum adjustment assembly for adjusting a body-supporting element of body supporting apparatus in pivotal directions.
It is another purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved rack and pinion adjustment assembly for adjusting body-supporting apparatus in reciprocal directions that can withstand extreme loading conditions such as commonly experienced in vehicular accidents and which has substantially no chuck.
It is still another purpose of the present invention to provide a new and improved belt and drum adjustment assembly for adjusting a body supporting element of body supporting apparatus in pivotal directions that can withstand extreme loading conditions such as commonly experienced in vehicular accidents and which has substantially no chuck.
It is yet still another provision of the present invention to reduce vehicle driver and passenger injuries that normally occur from vehicular accidents.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above problems and others are at least partially solved and the above purposes and others are realized in adjustable support apparatus and an improved architecture for adjusting support apparatus. In a particular embodiment, adjustable support apparatus of the present invention may comprise a first element, a second element mounted with the first element for movement in reciprocal directions and a support structure fixed to the second element, the support structure for receiving a selected portion of a body of a user thereon.
The present invention may further include a first adjustment assembly for permitting adjustment of support structure at selected positions along reciprocal traverse thereof. In particular, the first adjustment assembly comprises a rack carried by one of the first and second elements, gears carried by the other one of the first and second elements for rotation and in meshing engagement with the rack, and means for moving one of the gears between a first location detached from another one of the gears for permitting movement of one of the first and second elements in reciprocal directions and a second location meshingly engaged with the other one of the gears for inhibiting movement of the one of the first and second elements in reciprocal directions. The means for moving the gears may comprise a shaft mounted with the other one of the first and second elements for movement in reciprocal directions substantially parallel to the rack, a second shaft mounted with the other one of the first and second elements for movement in reciprocal directions in substantial opposition to the rack, and a lever coupled with the first and second shafts and movable in pivotal directions for moving the first and second shafts in reciprocal directions for effecting movement of the one of the gears between the first and second locations.
The present invention may also further include a second adjustment or clamp assembly for permitting adjustment of a backrest or second seating element of the support structure at selected positions along pivotal traverse thereof. In particular, the clamp assembly may comprise the second element having a drum with the backrest or second seating element carried by the drum for pivotal movement, and clamp apparatus carried by the second seating element and the base and movable between first and second orientations for releasing the second seating element from the drum to permit pivotal movement of the second seating element, and securing the second seating element against the drum to inhibit pivotal movement of the second seating element.
Clamp apparatus may comprise elongate flexible apparatus coiled about the second seating element at the drum, and means for moving the elongate flexible apparatus to secure the second seating element against the drum and to release the second seating element from the drum. The means for moving the elongate flexible apparatus to secure the second seating element against the drum and to release the second seating element from the drum may comprise a fixture carried by the base for movement in reciprocal directions in substantial opposition to the drum, portions of the elongate flexible apparatus being carried by the fixture, and means for moving the fixture in reciprocal directions for moving the elongate flexible apparatus to secure the second seating element against the drum and to release the second seating element from the drum. The means for moving the fixture in reciprocal directions may further include a lever mounted with the base for pivotal movement and with the fixture, the lever movable in pivotal directions for effecting movement of the fixture in reciprocal directions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2346895 (1944-04-01), Bergman
patent: 3022976 (1962-02-01), Zia
patent: 5100092 (1992-03-01), Sovis
patent: 5516071 (1996-05-01), Miyauchi
patent: 5785387 (1998-07-01), Hernandez et al.
patent: 5957535 (1999-09-01), Pasternak et al.
patent: 6000757 (1999-12-01), Sovis
Barfield Anthony D.
Elio Engineering
Goltry Michael W.
Parsons Robert A.
Parsons & Goltry
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