US20230371697A1 - Apparatus for supporting a standing person - Google Patents

An apparatus for supporting a standing person includes a foldable base assembly, a collapsible and extensible upright assembly, and an engagement assembly supported by the upper portions of the pair of uprights. The engagement assembly includes a pair of collapsible support bars. The upright assembly has a pair of uprights that each include a lower portion connected to the base assembly and an upper portion that supports the engagement assembly.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

• This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/343,661 filed May 19, 2022 entitled “Apparatus for Supporting a Standing Person” and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/405,246 filed Sep. 9, 2022, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

• The present invention relates generally to personal support devices, and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a leaning stand for supporting a standing person.

BACKGROUND

• For as long as humans have been standing, they have leaned against trees, rocks, and buildings for support. Recent research indicates that sitting for extended periods can lead to profound health impairments. Compared to standing or moving, sitting uses less energy and slower metabolism. Studies have shown that sitting for long periods of time may increase the risk of obesity and related health conditions, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and elevated cholesterol levels. In fact, excessive sitting has also been correlated with non-metabolic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

• In view of this research, there is renewed interest in encouraging people to sit less and stand more. Standing desks have become a fixture in modern offices because they allow workers to stand while reading, typing, talking on the phone, and carrying out other office-based tasks that have been traditionally associated with desks and chairs. Although a number of accoutrements have been developed for promoting standing activities in the workplace, there remains an unmet need for equipment that can be used to promote standing in other situations. It is to these and other deficiencies in the prior art that the present invention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

• In some embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for supporting a person standing on a surface, where the apparatus includes a base assembly resting on the surface, an upright assembly, and an engagement assembly. The upright assembly includes a pair of uprights that each include a lower portion connected to the base assembly and an upper portion. The engagement assembly is supported by the upper portions of the pair of uprights.

• In other embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for supporting a person standing on a surface. The apparatus includes a base assembly resting on the surface, an upright assembly and an engagement assembly. The upright assembly includes a pair of uprights that each include a lower portion connected to the base assembly and an upper portion. The engagement assembly is supported by the upper portions of the pair of uprights.

• In yet other embodiments, the present disclosure is directed at an apparatus for supporting a person standing on a surface, where the apparatus includes a foldable base assembly resting on the surface, a collapsible and extensible upright assembly, and an engagement assembly supported by the upper portions of the pair of uprights. The engagement assembly includes a pair of collapsible support bars. The upright assembly has a pair of uprights that each include a lower portion connected to the base assembly and an upper portion that supports the engagement assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1

  is a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a personal leaning apparatus.

• FIG. 2

  is a front perspective view of a second embodiment of a personal leaning apparatus that includes a height-adjustable upright assembly in a retracted position.

• FIG. 3

  is a front perspective view of the second embodiment of a personal leaning apparatus that includes a height-adjustable upright assembly in an extended position.

• FIG. 4

  is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of a personal leaning apparatus that includes a retracted upright assembly and a deployed engagement assembly.

• FIG. 5

  is a front perspective view of the embodiment of the personal leaning apparatus of

  FIG. 4

  in which the upright assembly and the engagement assembly are deployed.

• FIG. 6

  is a front perspective view of the embodiment of the personal leaning apparatus of

  FIG. 4

  , with the upright assembly and engagement assembly retracted.

• FIG. 7

  is a front perspective view of the embodiment of the personal leaning apparatus of

  FIG. 4

  , with the upright assembly and the engagement assembly folded.

• FIG. 8

  is a front perspective view of the embodiment of the personal leaning apparatus of

  FIG. 4

  , with the upright assembly and the engagement assembly are folded and retracted.

• FIG. 9

  is a front perspective view of a fourth embodiment of a personal leaning apparatus without upper support bars.

• FIG. 10

  is a front perspective of a fifth embodiment of a personal leaning apparatus without upper support bars that includes a height-adjustable upright assembly in a contracted position.

• FIG. 11

  is a front perspective of the embodiment of the personal leaning apparatus of

  FIG. 10

  that includes a height-adjustable upright assembly in an extended position.

• FIG. 12

  is a front perspective of a sixth embodiment of a personal leaning apparatus without upper support bars that includes a height-adjustable and collapsible upright assembly.

• FIG. 13

  is a front perspective view of a seventh embodiment of a personal leaning apparatus that includes an alternate folding mechanism.

• FIG. 14

  is a front perspective view of an eighth embodiment of a personal leaning apparatus that includes an alternate folding mechanism.

WRITTEN DESCRIPTION

• In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention,

  FIG. 1

  provides a front perspective view of a first embodiment of a

  personal leaning apparatus

  100. The

  personal leaning apparatus

  100 is generally configured to partially support a person (not shown) while standing in, or near, the

  personal leaning apparatus

  100. As explained herein, the

  personal leaning apparatus

  100 is well suited to promote comfortable standing in a fixed location.

• The

  personal leaning apparatus

  100 includes a

  base assembly

  102, an

  upright assembly

  104 and an

  engagement assembly

  106. The

  base assembly

  102 is configured to be supported by the floor or another solid surface. In the embodiment depicted in

  FIG. 1

  , the

  base assembly

  102 includes

  side members

  108 that are connected by

  cross members

  110. The

  side members

  108 and

  cross members

  110 are substantially coplanar and form an “A” frame that includes an

  opening

  112 on one end of the

  base assembly

  102 to permit the user to step into the

  base assembly

  102. The

  base assembly

  102 may include feet (not shown) on the underside of the

  side members

  108 and the

  cross members

  110. The feet can be height adjustable through a common threaded-bolt mechanism and can include high-friction wear surfaces to better position the

  base assembly

  102 in a stationary location on wooden, concrete or tile floors.

• The

  upright assembly

  104 extends upward from the

  base assembly

  102. In the embodiment depicted in

  FIG. 1

  , the

  upright assembly

  104 connects to the

  base assembly

  102 at an approximately perpendicular relationship. The

  upright assembly

  104 includes two

  uprights

  114 that can each be secured to a corresponding one of the

  side members

  108, or to the

  central cross member

  110. Thus, each upright 114 includes a

  lower portion

  116 secured to the

  base assembly

  102 and an

  upper portion

  118 that supports the

  engagement assembly

  106. It will be appreciated that this convention applies to the

  upright assembly

  104 such that the

  upright assembly

  104 also includes an upper portion and a lower portion (not separately designated).

• The

  engagement assembly

  106 is designed for engagement with the user. In the embodiment depicted in

  FIG. 1

  , the

  engagement assembly

  106 includes a

  center beam

  120 and a pair of

  support bars

  122. In the embodiment depicted in

  FIG. 1

  , the

  support bars

  122 and

  center beam

  120 are each connected to the

  uprights

  114. In other embodiments, the

  support bars

  122 are connected to the

  center beam

  120 rather than the

  uprights

  114. In other embodiments, the

  support bars

  122 are each connected to a corresponding one of the

  uprights

  114, but the

  center beam

  120 is connected between the

  support bars

  122. In some embodiments, the

  engagement assembly

  106 includes more than one

  center beam

  120.

• In the embodiment depicted in

  FIG. 9

  , the

  support bars

  122 are omitted from the

  engagement assembly

  106. In this embodiment, the engagement assembly includes the

  center beam

  120 connected to the

  uprights

  114. The embodiment depicted in

  FIG. 9

  also includes one or more

  light modules

  148, which are configured to illuminate the floor or to provide a decorative display.

• Turning back to the embodiment depicted in

  FIG. 1

  , each of the

  side members

  108,

  cross members

  110,

  uprights

  114,

  center beam

  120 and support bars 122 is manufactured from standard square metal tubing, and each member is connected to the adjacent member with mechanical fasteners (e.g., bolts), welds, adhesives, or other bonding technologies. In other embodiments, some or all of the

  side members

  108,

  cross members

  110,

  uprights

  114,

  center beam

  120 and support bars 122 are manufactured from wood, plastic, or composites like carbon fiber.

• During use, a person can stand inside

  base assembly

  102 and lean against or on the

  engagement assembly

  106. The person can stand in the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 facing the

  center beam

  120 or facing away from the

  center beam

  120. The person can rest their arms on the support bars 122 or grasp the support bars 122 with their hands to offload a portion of their weight to the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100. In embodiments of the personal leaning apparatus without support bars 122, the person can rest their arms on the

  center beam

  120 or grasp the

  center beam

  120 with their hands to offload a portion of their weight to the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100. The personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 can be manufactured in a wide range of sizes so the height of the

  uprights

  114 and the width of the

  cross members

  110 and

  center beam

  120 can accommodate people of various heights and widths.

• Turning to

  FIGS. 2-3

  , shown therein is an embodiment in which the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 is height-adjustable.

  FIGS. 10-11

  show an embodiment of the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 which is height-adjustable in which the support bars 122 are omitted from the

  engagement assembly

  106. In each of these embodiments, the

  uprights

  114 each include an upright

  outer tube

  124 and an upright

  inner tube

  126 that are telescopically arranged such that the upright

  inner tube

  126 slides inside the upright

  outer tube

  124. Nylon or other bearings (not shown) can be used to provide a reduced friction interface between the upright

  outer tube

  124 and the upright

  inner tube

  126. The extent to which the upright

  outer tube

  124 and upright

  inner tube

  126 are telescopically deployed can be selectively fixed by using an

  upright locking mechanism

  128 in the upright

  inner tube

  126 that engages

  mating apertures

  130 in the upright

  outer tube

  124. The

  locking mechanism

  128 can be a spring-loaded lock-button can be used to selectively engage and disengage the

  apertures

  130 to lock the upright

  inner tube

  126 and upright

  outer tube

  124 together at a specific length.

• Thus, as in

  FIG. 2

  and

  FIG. 10

  , each upright

  inner tube

  126 is at least partially contained within the corresponding

  outer tube

  128. In contrast, as in

  FIG. 3

  and

  FIG. 11

  , each upright

  inner tube

  126 has been extended into a deployed position to increase the height of the

  uprights

  114. This permits a single personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 to be height-adjustable to accommodate users of various heights by simply retracting or deploying the upright

  inner tube

  126 from the upright

  outer tube

  124.

• Turning to

  FIGS. 4-8

  , shown therein is an embodiment in which the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 is height-adjustable and collapsible to permit easier storage. As described above with respect to the embodiments depicted in

  FIGS. 2-3

  , the

  uprights

  114 can be telescopically extended (

  FIG. 5

  ) and retracted (

  FIG. 4

  ) to permit height adjustment. In this embodiment, the

  upright assembly

  104 also includes a pair of lockable

  upper hinges

  132 that allow the support bars 122 to fold from a deployed position (shown in

  FIGS. 4-5

  ) to a folded position (shown in

  FIGS. 6-8

  ). The upper hinges 132 each include an

  upper hinge lock

  134 that holds the support bars 122 in either the deployed position, the folded position, or in some intermediate position that permits the support bars 122 to be fixed in a declined orientation between horizontal (

  FIG. 5

  ) and vertical (

  FIG. 6

  ). In some embodiments, the

  upper hinge lock

  134 includes a spring-loaded lock-button that engages with mating holes within the upper hinges 132. In other embodiments, the

  upper hinge lock

  134 includes locking bolts or set screws.

• In this embodiment, the

  uprights

  114 are connected to the

  base assembly

  102 with lower hinges 136. The lower hinges 136 permit the

  upright assembly

  104 and

  engagement assembly

  106 to be folded flat against the

  base assembly

  102, as depicted in

  FIG. 7

  . The lower hinges 136 each include a

  lower hinge lock

  138 that holds the uprights 114 (or the upright

  outer tube

  124 and upright inner tube 126) in either the deployed position (

  FIGS. 4-6

  ) or the folded position (

  FIGS. 7-8

  ). In some embodiments, the

  lower hinge lock

  138 includes a spring-loaded lock-button that engages with mating holes within the lower hinges 136. In other embodiments, the

  lower hinge lock

  138 includes locking bolts or set screws. The lower hinges 136 are affixed to the

  side members

  108 through welding or other robust fasteners.

• In this embodiment, each of the

  side members

  108 includes a side member

  outer tube

  140, a side member

  inner tube

  142, and a

  base lock

  144, which selectively locks and releases the side member

  inner tube

  142 from engagement with the side member

  outer tube

  140. The

  base lock

  144 can be a spring-loaded lock-button on the side member

  inner tube

  142 that selectively engages and disengages with a corresponding

  base lock aperture

  146 on each of the side member

  outer tubes

  140. The lower hinges 136 are affixed to the side member

  outer tubes

  140 in this embodiment.

• Thus, in

  FIG. 7

  , the support bars 122 have been folded down within the upper hinges 132 such that the support bars 122 are collapsed against the

  uprights

  114. The

  upright assembly

  104 has been folded flat against the

  base assembly

  102 with the lower hinges 136. The base locks 144 can then be released to permit each side member

  inner tube

  142 to be shifted inside the corresponding side member outer tube 140 (

  FIG. 8

  ). In this way, the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 can be retracted and collapsed into a compact, flat configuration that permits easier storage and transportation.

• Turning to

  FIG. 12

  , shown therein is an embodiment in which the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 is height-adjustable and collapsible, but omits the upper support bars 122. As described above with respect to the embodiments depicted in

  FIGS. 4-8

  , the

  uprights

  114 can be telescopically extended and retracted to permit height adjustment. In this embodiment, the

  uprights

  114 are connected to the

  base assembly

  102 with lower hinges 136. The lower hinges 136 permit the

  upright assembly

  104 and

  engagement assembly

  106 to be folded flat against the

  base assembly

  102, as depicted in

  FIG. 14

  . The lower hinges 136 each include a

  lower hinge lock

  138 that holds the uprights 114 (or the upright

  outer tube

  124 and upright inner tube 126) in either the deployed position or the folded position, as previously illustrated. In some embodiments, the

  lower hinge lock

  138 includes a spring-loaded lock-button that engages with mating holes within the lower hinges 136. In other embodiments, the

  lower hinge lock

  138 includes locking bolts or set screws. The lower hinges 136 are affixed to the

  side members

  108 through welding or other robust fasteners.

• In this embodiment, as in the embodiment shown in

  FIGS. 4-8

  , each of the

  side members

  108 includes a side member

  outer tube

  140, a side member

  inner tube

  142, and a

  base lock

  144, which selectively locks and releases the side member

  inner tube

  142 from engagement with the side member

  outer tube

  140. The

  base lock

  144 can be a spring-loaded lock-button on the side member

  inner tube

  142 that selectively engages and disengages with a corresponding

  base lock aperture

  146 on each of the side member

  outer tubes

  140. The lower hinges 136 are affixed to the side member

  outer tubes

  140 in this embodiment.

• Turning to

  FIG. 13

  , shown therein is yet another embodiment in which the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 is configured to be collapsed for easier storage and transportation. In this embodiment, the

  center beam

  120 and the

  cross members

  110 each includes a

  central hinge

  150 with a

  locking cap

  152. The

  center beam

  120 is connected to the

  upper portions

  118 of the

  uprights

  114 with lateral hinges 154. Similarly, lateral hinges 154 are also used to connect the

  cross members

  110 to the

  side members

  108. In this way, the

  center beam

  120 and

  cross members

  110 can be folded vertically to permit the approximation of the two

  uprights

  114 and

  side members

  108, or unfolded and locked with the locking

  cap

  152 into the position depicted in

  FIG. 13

  .

• Turning to

  FIG. 14

  , shown therein is yet another embodiment in which the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100. In this embodiment, the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 includes upright hinges 156 disposed within the

  uprights

  114 between the

  lower portion

  116 and the

  upper portion

  118. The upright hinges 156 permit the

  upper portion

  118 of each upright 114 to be folded downward onto the respective

  lower portion

  116. The personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 further includes front and back leg hinges 158, 160 on each

  side member

  108 that separates the

  side members

  108 into front and

  back sections

  162, 164. Each

  front section

  162 folds along the

  front leg hinge

  158 to the front side of the

  lower portion

  116 of the

  upright

  114. Each back

  section

  164 folds along the

  back leg hinge

  160 to the back side of the

  lower portion

  116 of the

  uprights

  114. In exemplary embodiments, the upright hinges 156 and leg hinges 158, 160 include locking mechanisms such as pins or cams that can be selectively engaged to lock the hinges in open and closed positions. Importantly, it will be appreciated that features from each of the various embodiments disclosed herein have been illustrated in combination with other features, but that additional combinations of these features are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention. For example, it is possible to incorporate the

  light modules

  148 into any of the various embodiments depicted in

  FIGS. 1-13

  . Similarly, the support bars 122 can be included or omitted in each of the various embodiments. The support bars 122 can be included, as an example, in the laterally-collapsible embodiment depicted in

  FIG. 13

  . Furthermore, the features that permit the personal leaning

  apparatus

  100 to laterally collapse in

  FIG. 13

  can be combined with the upper hinges 132 and/or

  lower hinges

  136 depicted in

  FIGS. 4-8

  to provide a highly compactable design.

• It is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and functions of various embodiments of the invention, this disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of structure and arrangement of parts within the principles of the present invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the teachings of the present invention can be applied to other systems without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.