Abstract:
A quick release extrusion bracket with a lock is provided. The quick release extrusion bracket secures a chair, stool, seat, etc. with a base plate at the end of a supporting post, leg, etc. to a floor. The quick release extrusion bracket enables the quick and easy release of the base plate from the bracket, thereby facilitating the simple and quick removal of the chair, stool, seat, etc. The lock enables the base plate to be locked to the bracket so that it may not be removed by a patron or other person without an appropriate tool or key.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority of Provisional Application No. 60/153,241, filed on Sep. 13, 1999, incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The field of the present invention includes means of securing chairs and stools to specified positions on a floor. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In order to prevent theft and inconvenient relocation by patrons of chairs and stools, many establishments such as restaurants, bars, casinos, entertainment venues and convention centers make use of chairs and stools that are fixed to the floor. However, in certain situations, it becomes necessary to move the chairs and stools to more convenient locations or to remove them completely. Examples of such situations include when the floor plan of the establishment is changed or when a handicapped patron wishes to use a wheelchair in lieu of the fixed stool or chair. If the chair is bolted to the floor, as is commonly done in establishments, the patron is either unable to place the wheelchair in the desired location or extensive labor is required to remove the chair. 
     As one possible alternative to bolting, it is known in the art to secure chairs and stools by the use of J-brackets. These J-brackets, illustrated in FIG. 1, effectively function as a hook  10  protruding from the floor  20  and secured thereto by a bracket  30 . Such a hook can secure the position of a plate  40  having a lip  50 . If a post  60  that supports a chair or stool (not shown) is attached to plate  40 , post  60  provides a means of securing the chair while maintaining a method of removing the chair, should the need arise. 
     One drawback of the J-bracket discussed above is the need to re-adjust the brackets whenever the floor height changes, such as when the carpet of the establishment is replaced. This need arises from the fact that, when a thicker carpet is used, there may no longer be enough clearance to allow the lip  50  to fit into the hook  10  and, when a thinner carpet is used, the hook  10  may not extend far enough to contact the lip  50  and the chair would not be secured. 
     Another drawback of the J-bracket is that it includes no means for preventing unwanted removal of the chair by patrons. 
     Hence, what is needed is an apparatus for securing a chair that allows for a convenient removal of the chair from a particular location. What is needed is an apparatus for securing a chair that is not dependent on a constant thickness of the carpet to operate properly. 
     What is also needed is an apparatus for securing a chair that prevents unwanted removal of the chair from the apparatus. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus that secures a chair to a fixed location relative to a floor, that allows for the convenient removal of the chair from the fixed location and that does not require readjustment when the relative height of the floor to which the apparatus is attached changes. 
     Certain other embodiments of the present invention provide the three advantages listed immediately above and also restrict unwanted removal of the chair from the apparatus. 
     Certain other embodiments of the present invention provide a quick-release securing mechanism, including a base, a first tongue, extending substantially perpendicularly from the base, a back piece, extending perpendicularly from the base in a same direction as the first tongue and a stop extending perpendicularly from the back piece and towards the first tongue. 
     Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates by way of example the principles of the present Invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a side-view of a J-bracket securing a plate to which a seat post is attached. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of a bracket according to embodiments of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates a three-dimensional view of a bracket according to embodiments of the present invention and a base plate, within the scope of some embodiments of the present invention, that is secured by the bracket. 
     FIGS. 4 a - 4   e  illustrate a lock assembly used, according to some embodiments of the present invention, in conjunction with the bracket and base plate illustrated in FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 illustrates a three-dimensional view of the bracket, base plate and lock assembly of an embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 illustrates a side view of a bracket, lock assembly and base plate of an embodiment of the present invention in a locked configuration. 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of a method of securing and removing a base plate. 
     FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a bracket according to the present invention wherein the dimensions of all of the illustrated components are provided. 
     Same numerals in FIGS. 1-8 are assigned to similar elements in all the figures. Embodiments of the present invention are discussed below with reference to FIGS. 1-8. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the present invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 2, illustrates a bracket  5  according to certain embodiments of the present Invention. As is seen, bracket  5  includes a base  70  that is generally, though not exclusively, positioned and secured horizontally to a floor of an establishment such as a casino, bar, entertainment venue, etc., while in use. Bracket  5  also includes a tongue  80  and a back piece  90  protruding substantially perpendicularly from base  70 . Tongue  80  and back piece  90  are generally, though not exclusively, located at opposite ends of bracket  5  and both are on the same side of base  70 , protruding away from the floor upon which bracket  5  may be secured. Stop  100  protrudes from back piece  90 , above and substantially parallel to base  70  and towards tongue  80 . Although the present Invention is not particularly limited to specific dimensions tongue  80  may be approximately six inches wide. 
     FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of bracket  5  from a three-dimensional perspective and further illustrates how bracket  5  can be positioned relative to base plate  110 . Base plate  110  comprises a groove  120  at least on one side thereof. According to some embodiments of the present Invention, groove  120  may extend completely through base plate  110 , thereby providing a slit or hole (not shown) through base plate  110 . Although no particular dimensions are specific to the present Invention, according to certain embodiments of the present Invention, groove  120  may be approximately six inches long (corresponding roughly to the length of tongue  80  and capable of receiving tongue  80 ) and located substantially in the center of base plate  110 . Base plate  110  may typically be between eleven or fifteen inches wide. 
     When in a secured position, a portion of base plate  110  is in direct contact with the top surface of base  70  and tongue  80  is positioned under and/or in groove  120  (or through groove  120  if the groove to be provided is a slit or hole). In this secured position, base plate  110  is prevented from substantially moving in horizontal directions by tongue  80  and back piece  90 . Base plate  110  is also prevented from substantially moving in a vertical direction by base  70  and stop  100 . Once base plate  110  is in a secured position, base plate  110  may be removed from bracket  5  by lifting the end of base plate  100  not adjacent to bracket  5 , moving base plate  110  in a direction diagonally upwards from base  70  and towards back piece  90 , in order to clear tongue  80 , and away from back piece  90 , in order to clear stop  100 . 
     FIG. 3 also illustrates a plurality of screw holes  130  in back piece  90  that provide for ease of attachment of bracket  5  to a wall or other vertical surface. It should be noted that, according to other embodiments of the present Invention, screw holes  130  may be placed at other locations on bracket  5  and that bracket  5  may be fixed in a location according to methods other than the use of screws. For example, base  70  may include securing devices (holes for screws, bolts, etc,.) that enable base  70  to be secured to a floor. 
     Although not illustrated, base plate  110  may further include, protruding substantially vertically from base plate  110 , a post upon which a seat or stool can be attached, or other means for securing a seat, chair, stool, etc. to the base plate. Accordingly, the present Invention, enables a chair, seat or stool to be secured to a fixed location relative to a floor. Use of the present invention also allows for the convenient removal of the chair from the fixed location and does not require readjustment of the bracket when the relative height of the floor, to which the apparatus according to these embodiments is attached, changes. The latter is true because the operation of bracket  5  depends on the relative positioning of the components of bracket  5 , not on the relative position of the floor and the apparatus. In other words, although the relative position of the floor/carpet can affect the functionality of a J-bracket by providing too much or too little clearance to insert plate  40  (as discussed above), an altered floor height does not affect the functionality of bracket  5  because base plate  110  is secured by the relative positions of base  70 , tongue  80 , stop  100  and back piece  90  to each other. The raising or lowering of bracket  5 , for example, as caused by altered floor height due to plusher carpet, does not change these relative positions. 
     FIGS. 4 a - 4   e  illustrate a lock assembly  8 , according to certain embodiments of the present Invention, for locking base plate  110  to bracket  5 . Specifically, FIG. 4 a  illustrates lock assembly including a back plate  140 , a front plate  150 , screws  160  securing back plate  140  to front plate  150 , a slot  170 , substantially in the middle of front plate  150  and extending through front plate  150 , and a latch  180 , a portion of which is seen protruding below front plate  150 . Not shown in FIG. 4 a  is a cavity  190 , formed between back plate  140  and front plate  150 . Slot  170  provides access to cavity  190  and a portion of latch  180  that extends into cavity  190 . 
     FIG. 4 b  illustrates how back plate  140  and front plate  150  may be secured to bracket  5  by screws  160 . Other devices for securing lock assembly  8  to bracket  5  may be used. 
     FIG. 4 c  illustrates latch  180  including the portion of latch  180  that resides in cavity  190 . Latch  180  includes an eyelet  200  and one of more cavities  205  (shown in FIG. 4 d ) that may contain one or more springs  210  (also shown in FIG. 4 d ). Springs  210  exert a downward force against latch  180  and an upward force against the top of cavity  190  as illustrated in FIG. 4 e.    
     Latch  180  is moveable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, springs  210  are extended and latch  180  extends beyond the edge of front plate  150  closest to base  70 . In the second position, springs  210  are compressed and latch  180  does not extend beyond the edge of front plate  150  closest to base  70 . 
     One method of moving latch  180  between the illustrated first position and second position is by inserting an item, such as a screwdriver, into slot  170  and into eyelet  200 , exerting a force counter to springs  210  and moving latch  180  upwards away from base  70 . As will be shown in FIG.  5 , this is one method of moving certain embodiments of the present Invention between locked and unlocked positions, corresponding to the first and second positions, respectively. 
     FIG. 5 provides a three-dimensional view of embodiments of the present Invention in which lock assembly  8 , illustrated in FIGS. 4 a - 4   c , is attached to bracket  5 . The view presented in FIG. 5 is one where tongue  180  is in the locked position. FIG. 5 also illustrates that, in the embodiments of the present Invention illustrated therein, base plate  110  contains an indentation  220  that, like groove  120 , may extend completely through base plate  110 . 
     As shown in FIG. 6, base plate  110  may be inserted into bracket  5  such that tongue  80  is inserted into groove  120 . Base plate  110  is restricted from moving in the horizontal and vertical directions by bracket  5 . Although the use of lock assembly  8  and presence of indentation  220  are purely optional, with lock assembly  8  in place (or in use), as is also shown in FIG. 6, base plate  110  is restricted from being removed from bracket  5 . Specifically, when latch  180  extends beyond front plate  150 , latch  180  inserts itself into indentation  220 . Hence, any movement of base plate  110  perpendicular to or upwards from base  70  is substantially prevented unless latch  180  is pushed back into cavity  190  and no longer extends beyond front plate  150 . As described above, this may be done simply by inserting a screwdriver into slot  170  and into eyelet  200  and exerting an upward force against latch  180 . 
     It should be noted that, although latch  180  is represented as traveling through stop  100  before inserting into indentation  220  in FIG. 6, according to certain embodiments of the present Invention, lock assembly  8  and/or stop  100  may be modified such that latch  180  does not intersect or travel through stop  100 . For example, back plate  140  may be made much thicker, allowing latch  180  to be further away from back piece  90 . In such embodiments, indentation  220  would be located further away from back piece  90  to accommodate latch  180 . Also, according to other embodiments of the present invention, lock assembly  8  may be positioned either in direct contact with stop  100  and, according to yet other embodiments, stop  100  is partially indented to allow lock assembly  8  to be positioned even closer to base  70 . 
     Among the advantages of the embodiments of the present Invention that are illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 is that lock assembly  8  illustrated in FIGS. 4 a - 4   c  prevents unwanted persons from removing base plate  110  and any chairs or stools that are either directly or indirectly mounted thereto. However, an authorized person with a screwdriver or other device capable of being inserted into slot  170  and eyelet  200  and of raising latch  180  into cavity  190 , can easily remove base plate  10  and the mounted chair or stool. This facilitates the simple, easy and quick removal of the mounted chair or stool. 
     Also within the scope of the present Invention are locking devices that prevent removal of base plate  110  even with a readily available device such as a screwdriver and instead require a key or combination. For example, a bicycle-type lock may be inserted in slot  170  to prevent access to eyelet  200 . 
     FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary method of use of the present invention including securing and removing a base plate (to which a chair, stool, seat, etc. is attached) to a fixed position on a floor. The steps of the method include: installing a bracket on a floor  500 , inserting a baseplate into the bracket  510 , optionally securing a lock assembly to the bracket  520 , optionally unlocking the lock assembly  530  and removing the base plate  540 . All of these steps may be executed as described above. 
     EXAMPLE 
     Although in no way limiting of the present Invention, FIG. 8 provides some dimensions of one embodiment of a bracket included within the scope of the present Invention.