IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
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국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
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출원번호 |
US-0180413
(1980-08-22)
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발명자
/ 주소 |
- Macho, Jan M.
- Oxford, Richard O.
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출원인 / 주소 |
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대리인 / 주소 |
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인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
45 인용 특허 :
1 |
초록
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A folding stool including a top having a depending peripheral skirt and support leg members operatively mounted on the underside of the top, and inward of the peripheral skirt. Leg members are mounted at opposite ends of the stool. Each leg member includes two legs interconnected as a pair. The leg
A folding stool including a top having a depending peripheral skirt and support leg members operatively mounted on the underside of the top, and inward of the peripheral skirt. Leg members are mounted at opposite ends of the stool. Each leg member includes two legs interconnected as a pair. The leg members are pivotally moveable to an extended stool support position, and to a retracted folded position within the confines of the skirt. Selectively engageable double leg locking means are provided, with portions thereof being on the stool top and portions thereof being on the legs of the leg members. The locking means are functionally operable for locking the leg members in the extended stool support position. Engagement and disengagement of the double locking means is manually effected by rectilinear movement of the leg members, toward the stool top when in the extended stool support position. Pivotal movement of the leg members is prevented with the locking means operatively engaged.
대표청구항
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1. A folding stool, comprising: a top; leg members on opposite ends of said stool movable selectively to extended stool support positions and folded retracted positions; interengaging attachment means pivotally and rectilinearly movably connecting said leg members and said top; said interengag
1. A folding stool, comprising: a top; leg members on opposite ends of said stool movable selectively to extended stool support positions and folded retracted positions; interengaging attachment means pivotally and rectilinearly movably connecting said leg members and said top; said interengaging attachment means including: lugs extending down from the underside of said top; attachment guide means on said lugs having open top ends and curvilinear closed bottom ends; said leg members having support surface contacting ends and stool attachment ends; circular knobs on said stool attachment ends of said leg members; said circular knobs being operatively engaged with said attachment guide means and conjointly coactable therewith for selective pivotal and rectilinear movement of said leg members to said extended stool support positions and to said folded retracted positions, said leg members in the extended positions being selectively rectilinearly movable into and out of a locking interengagement with said top. 2. A folding stool as claimed in claim 1, said attachment guide means on said lugs comprising a raised guide forming ridge having a vertical length greater than the diameter of said circular knobs, said guide forming ridge having said curvilinear closed bottom end, said circular knobs being engageable with said curvilinear closed bottom ends for pivotal movement of said leg members, said knobs being rectilinearly movable in said guide forming ridges with said leg members in extended positions to permit said locking interengagement with said top. 3. A folding stool, comprising: a top; leg members on opposite ends of said stool movable selectively to extended stool support positions and folded retracted positions; interengaging attachment means pivotally and rectilinearly movably connecting said leg members and said top; said interengaging attachment means including: lugs extending down from the underside of said top; attachment guide means on said lugs having open top ends and curvilinear closed bottom ends; a raised guide forming ridge on said lugs having a vertical length greater than the diameter of said circular knobs, said guide forming ridge having said curvilinear closed bottom end, said leg members having support surface contacting ends and stool attachment ends; circular knobs on said stool attachment ends of said leg members; said circular knobs being engageable with said curvilinear closed bottom ends for pivotal movement of said leg members, said knobs being rectilinearly movable in said guide forming ridges with said leg members in extended positions to permit said locking interengagement with said top, said circular knobs when operatively engaged with said attachment guide means being conjointly coactable therewith for selective said pivotal and rectilinear movement of said leg members to said extended stool support positions and to said folded retracted positions, said knobs and therefore said leg members in the extended positions being selectively rectilinearly movable into and out of a locking interengagement with said top, said leg members further each including two legs respectively, interconnecting rungs between said legs, said legs being channel shaped in cross-section, said stool attachment ends of said leg members each including two laterally spaced sets of ears having curvilinear shaped ends, said circular knobs being on one said curvilinear shaped ear end in each said set, and disposed toward the other said ear end in a said set, said lugs having said attachment guide means being arranged in pairs with said ridge guide being disposed on facing sides thereof, the spacing of said lugs with said ridge guide thereon being a distance such that said lugs are insertable between said curvilinear ear ends in said sets, said lugs being in operative positionment on opposite sides of said curvilinear ear ends with said knobs operatively engaged within the areas defined by said ridge guides. 4. A folding stool as defined in claim 3, said lugs and said legs being formed of a resilient material, said circular knobs having tapered outer end edges thereon, interengagement of said knobs and said guide ridge being effected by initial engagement of the knob tapered outer ends between said lugs, and upon subsequent respective displacement of one with respect to the other serving to resiliently spread said curvilinear ear ends for positionment of said circular knobs in engagement in said ridge guide forming said attachment guide means, and subsequent disengagement of said circular knobs being prevented by the resilient interengagement of said circular knobs in the guides formed by said ridges. 5. A folding stool as defined in claim 4, the resilient interengagement of said circular knobs within said guide forming ridge by respective movement therebetween resulting in a snap-in engagement of said circular knobs within said guide forming ridge. 6. A folding stool as defined in claim 5, the webs of the channel shaped legs having inset ledges in proximity to the ends having said curvilinear ear ends, said ledges haviang slots therethrough, said top having downwardly extending lugs thereon, said lugs being engageable in said slots upon rectilinear movement of said leg members toward said top with said legs in extended stool support positions, and the interengagement of the lugs in the slots constituting locking means between said leg members and said top with said leg members in the said extended stool supporting positions. 7. A folding stool as defined in claim 6, inner legs of said channel shaped legs of said leg members having, on the opposing inner faces thereof respectively, generally triangular shaped outwardly extending projections, depending webs extending from the undersurface of said top substantially between said ends to which said leg members are attached, said webs having outwardly opening slots in the edges thereof, and in opposite spatial positionment to said projections on said leg faces, said projections being slidably engageable within said slots upon rectilinear movement of said legs when in extended leg supporting position, and upon respective engagement therebetween constituting second leg position locking means. 8. A folding stool as claimed in claim 7, the first and second locking means, when operatively engaged, prevented pivotal movement of the leg members from the extended stool supporting position to the retracted folded position, disengagement of said locking means, upon outward linear displacement of said legs to disengage the respective said locking means, thereafter permitting pivotal movement of said legs to the folded retracted position of said leg members. 9. A folding stool as claimed in claim 8, wherein the channels of said legs of one said leg member have an internal width greater than the external width of the channels of said legs of the other said leg member, the inner leg portion of the larger of said leg channels having a cutout in the end edge, the respective channel width dimensions, in conjunction with the cutaway edge, permitting engagement of the larger dimension channel leg over the smaller dimension channel leg when said leg members are in the folded retracted positions, said cutaway edge accommodating interconnecting leg rungs in the smaller dimension channel leg, the overlapping relationship of the leg members in the folded position thereby providing an overall stool top depth of minimized dimensions. 10. A folding stool as claimed in claim 9, said lugs having said attachment guide means thereon, at that end of said stool having the lesser leg channel width attached thereto, being in closer proximity one to another than said lugs at the opposite end having the legs of greater channel width, said ear ends and said circular knobs on the lesser channel width legs being commensurately spaced for proper interengagement of the respective attachment means for the respective legs. 11. A folding stool as defined in claim 10, including a downwardly extending peripheral skirt on said top, said attachment means for said leg members being disposed within the confines of said peripheral skirt and positioned above the lowermost edge there, said leg members when in the folded retracted position being contained within the confines of said peripheral skirt and above the lower edge thereof, thereby providing a substantially unobstructed bottom to the folding step stool in the folded condition thereof. 12. A folding step stool as defined in claim 11, all of said folding stool being constructed of a resilient, substantially rigid, and strong plastic material. 13. A folding stool as claimed in claim 12, said stool consisting of injection molded plastic material, said top and conjoined portions thereof constituting one molded piece member, and each said leg member constituting a separate molded piece member. 14. A folding article of furniture comprising: a top; said top having peripheral edges; leg support and attachment means mounted to the underside of the top; support legs pivotally attached to the underside of said top inwardly of said peripheral edges by interengagement with said leg support and attachment means, said legs being selectively and reversably movable to an extended article support position and to a retracted and folded position within the confines of said peripheral edges and beneath the underside of said top by interaction of leg pivot means and said leg support and attachment means; said support and attachment means consisting of depending lugs on the underside of said top having circular recesses in facing inner sides thereof, said leg members having circular recesses in facing inner sides thereof, said leg members having circular projections having a bevel faced portion and a flat edge portion thereon engaged in said circular recesses, said circular recesses having extended guide edge portions, said circular projections being introducable into and engaged in said guide edge portions by action of said bevel portion and confined in and coacting with the circular recesses for pivotal movement of said legs, said circular projections being rectilinearly movable within said extended edge portions for rectilinear engagement and withdrawal movement of the legs respectively engage and disengage said locking means while retained in the interengaged and pivotal relationship, selectively engageable leg lock means having portions thereof on said top, and portions thereof on said legs respectively, said legs when pivoted to said extended position being rectilinearly movable to selectively engage and to disengage said lock means, pivotal movement of said leg members in the extended position being prevented by said interengaged lock means, and necessitating disengagement of said lock means prior to rotation of said legs to the retracted folded position thereof with said legs confined within said depending peripheral edges. 15. A folding article as claimed in claim 14, wherein said support and attachment means, and said leg members, consist of a relatively rigid but slightly resilient plastic material to permit slight bending thereof to facilitate engagement of said circular projections in said circular recesses due to the bevel portion, and thereafter resilient containment therein by the flat edge portion for pivoting said legs to erected and retracted positions, while preventing disengagement of the legs from the support and attachment means. 16. A folding stool, comprising: a top; leg members on opposite ends of said stool movable selectively to extended stool support positions and folded retracted positions; interengaging attachment means pivotally and rectilinearly movably connecting said leg members and said top; said interengaging attachment means including: lugs extending down from the underside of said top; raised ridge attachment guide means on said lugs having open top ends and curvilinear closed bottom ends; said leg members having support surface contacting ends and stool attachment ends; circular knobs on said stool attachment ends of said leg members; said circular knobs being operatively engaged by and within said attachment guide means and conjointly coactable therewith for selective pivotal and rectilinear movement of said leg members to said extended stool support positions and to said folded retracted positions, said leg members in the extended positions being selectively rectilinearly movable into and out of a locking interengagement with said top; said knobs being operatively locked within said guide means and operatively being non-removable therefrom. 17. A folding stool as claimed in claim 16, said raised guide forming ridge having a vertical length greater than the diameter of said circular knobs, said guide forming ridge having said curvilinear closed bottom end, said circular knobs being engageable with said curvilinear closed bottom ends for pivotal movement of said leg members, said knobs being rectilinearly movable in said guide forming ridges with said leg members in extended positions to permit said locking interengagement with said top. 18. An article of furniture comprising: a top support forming member; said top member having peripheral edges; leg support and attachment means mounted to the underside of the top member; a support leg pivotally attached to the underside of said top member inwardly of a said peripheral edge by interengagement with said leg support and attachment means, said leg being selectively and reversibly movable to an extended article support position and to a retracted and folded position within the confines of said peripheral edge and beneath the underside of said top member by interaction of leg pivot means and said leg support and attachment means; said support and attachment means consisting of a depending lug on the underside of said top having a circular recess in a side thereof, said leg member having a circular projection having a bevel faced portion and a flat edge portion thereon engaged in said circular recess, said circular recess having an extended guide edge portion, said circular projection being introducable into and engaged in said guide edge portion by action of said bevel portion and confined in and coacting with the circular recess for pivotal movement of said leg, said circular projection being rectilinearly movable within said extended edge portion for rectilinear engagement and withdrawal movement of the leg respectively to engage and disengage selectively operable locking means while retained in the interengaged and pivotal relationship; said selectively engageable leg lock means having portions thereof on said top member, and portions thereon on said leg respectively, said leg when pivoted to said extended position being rectilinearly movable to selectively engage and to disengage said lock means, pivotal movement of said leg member in the extended position being prevented by said interengaged lock means, and necessitating disengagement of said lock means prior to rotation of said leg to the retracted folded position thereof with said leg confined within said peripheral edges. 19. A folding article as claimed in claim 18, wherein said support and attachment means, and said leg member, consist of a relatively rigid but slightly resilient plastic material to permit slight bending thereof to facilitate engagement of said circular projection in said circular recess due to the bevel portion, and thereafter resilient containment therein by the flat edge portion for pivoting said leg to erected and retracted positions, while preventing disengagement of the leg from the support and attachment means. 20. A folding furniture article, comprising: a support member; a leg member mounted proximate on end of said support member and movable selectively to an extended support position and folded retracted position; interengaging attachment means pivotally and rectilinearly movably connecting said leg member and said support member; said interengaging attachment means including: lugs extending down from the underside of said support member; raised ridge attachment guide means on said lug having an open top end and a curvilinear closed bottom end; said leg member having a support surface contacting end and an article attachment end; circular knobs on said stool attachment end of said leg member; said circular knob being operatively engaged by and within said attachment guide means and conjointly coactable therewith for selective pivotal and rectilinear movement of said leg member to said extended support position and to said folded retracted position, said leg member in the extended position being selectively rectilinearly movable into and out of a locking interengagement with said support member; said knob being operatively locked within said guide means and operatively being non-removable therefrom. 21. A folding stool as claimed in claim 20, said raised guide forming ridge having a vertical length greater than the diameter of said circular knob, said guide forming ridge having said curvilinear closed bottom end, said circular knob being engageable with said curvilinear closed bottom end for pivotal movement of said leg member, said knob being rectilinearly movable in said guide forming ridge with said leg member in extended position to permit said locking interengagement with said support member.
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