KNEELING AID

Abstract: A kneeling aid for household or garden use in the form of a platform or board with upstanding handles by means of which work required to be done in a kneeling or near kneeling position may be accomplished. The platform has an upper padded surface (9) and handles (16) at opposite ends thereof for assuming or arising from the kneeling posture, said handles (16) having elongated slots engaging hinge pins (15) in support members (8). This slot-and-pin arrangement allows locking of the handles in the upright position consequent to downward sliding of the handles in supports (8), however raising of the handles permits their hinging into cut-outs (10) so that the handles can lie folded onto the platform.

Description: KH E IHG AID THIS INVENTION relates to a device in the form of a kneeling aid particularly, but not exclusively, for household or garden use, and comprehends a kneeling platform or board by means of which work required to be done in a kneeling or near kneeling position may be more comfortably and efficiently- accomplished, whilst also providing means for aiding the person using the device in assuming the kneeling position and arising therefrom. According to the invention there is provided a kneeling aid comprising a base part having a resilient or padded upper kneeling surface, said base part being provided with handles at opposite ends thereof which are adapted to be grasped by a person in assuming or arising from the kneeling position or for maintaining balance during the kneeling posture, said handles being hingedly mounted on the base part so as to be movable from an up¬ right releasably lockable position to a collapsed position on the base part. The handles may be hingedly and slidably mounted in upstanding support members integral with or secured to and adjacent the rear corners of the base part and wherein pivot means such as pivot pins may be provided in the upstanding support members and engageable in elongated slots in the portion of the handles engageable in said support members which are provided on their inner facing upper ends with cut-out portions, said handles being slidable downwardly in said support members to lock same in their upright position and movable upwards through said slots to a position wherein they can be hinged inwardly into said cut-out portions to a collapsed position above said base part. According to another embodiment of the invention, the support members are located adjacent the front corners of the base part. In order that the invention and its manner of performance may be more fully described, reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention as illustrated I ~ C <r s ""* ■*■ " ■ ' "~' ! t" * \_ι ~ τ m -τ bϋbϋ if : ■ i i-J 4 ___ H C I in the. accompanying drawings, wherein:- Figure 1 is a perspective view from above and to the front left hand side of an embodiment of the device; ' Figure 2 is a side elevational view; Figure 3 is a rear elevational view; Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of the device of Figure 1 in the collapsed folded configuration; Figure 5 is a detailed view of the hinge connection with a handle in the uppermost position prior to hinging to a collapsed position; Figure 6 is a detailed view of the hinge connection with a handle in the collapsed configura- tion; Figure 7 is a rear elevational view similar to Figure 3 of a further embodiment of the invention; ■ Figure 8 is a rear elevational view of the device of Figure 7 in the collapsed folded con¬ figuration; Figure 9 is a perspective view from above and to the front left hand side of a further embodiment of the device; Figure 10 is a rear elevational view; and Figure 11 is a rear elevational view of the device of Figure 9 in the collapsed folded configuration. Referring to Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, the device comprises a rectangular base member 5 comprising a tubular U-shaped frame 6 having a flat bottom part 7 attached thereto and having upstanding socket members 8 at the rear corners thereof, said socket members 8 being preferably formed as an integral part of tubular frame 6. Located on the bottom part 7 is a pad 9 of resilient plastics material. " SUB-ST IT /tE^SHEET The upstanding socket members 8 are each provided• with a cut-out portion 10 preferably formed with a lip portion 11, said cut-out portions 10 being formed on the inner facing surfaces of the socket members 8. Handles* 12 are provided with a portion 13 having an elongated closed slot 14 formed therein; and said socket members 8 are each provided with a pivot pin 15 engageable through said closed slot 14 of a handle 12. The handle portion 16 above said portion 13 is angled towards the front of the device and at its upper end extends rearwardly at 17 to form a handle engaging part provided with suitable resilient grip members 18. As shown in Figure 1, with the handles in the upright in-use position, the handle portions 13 are engaged in the socket members 8 with the pivot pins 15 engaging the top end of the slots 14. To collapse the handle 12 on to or above the base member 5, for carrying, • stowage or packaging purposes, the handles 12 are lifted upwards in socket members 8 until the pivot pins engage against the lower end of the slots and the handles can then be hinged inwardly, one above the other as illustrated in Figure 4. Referring to Figures 7 and 8 there is illustrated a modified form of the device of the invention wherein one socket member 8 is longer than the other socket member 8* and handle 12 is shorter than handle 12' , so that when the handles are hinged to the collapsed position, a more compact folded configuration is obtained as illustrated in Figure 8. Referring to Figures 9 to 11, this embodiment is of similar construction to the embodiment of Figures 1 to 6, but with the socket members 8 located at the front of the base member 5 and wherein the preferred hinge construction is as illustrated in Figures 5 and 6. The locking of the handles in the upright position and inward hinging of the handles to the collapsed position is as described with relation to Figures 1 to 6. The feature of Figures 7 and 8 may also apply to this embodiment. T i Instead of slot 14 being located in handle 12 and pin 15 in socket 8, the slot may be formed in socket 8 and pin 15 secured in portion 13 of handle 12. SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Claims: Claims : 1. A kneeling aid comprising a base part having a resilient or padded upper kneeling surface, said base part being provided with handles at opposite ends thereof which are adapted to be grasped by a person in assuming or arising from the kneeling position or for maintaining balance during the kneeling posture, said handles being hingedly mounted on the base part so as to be movable from an upright releasably lockable position to a collapsed position on the base part. 2. A kneeling aid according to claim 1 wherein the base part comprises a base plate and a U-shaped tubular framework attached to and surrounding a side and both ends of said base plate and said handles are hingedly mounted at the outer ends of said framework. 3. A kneeling aid according to claim 2 wherein said handles-are hingedly and slidably mounted in upstanding support members at said outer ends of the tubular framework.- 4. A kneeling aid according to claim 3 wherein the upstanding support- members are provided with pivot pins engageable in elongated slots in the portion of the handles engageable in said- upstanding support members. 5. A kneeling aid according to claim 3 wherein the ■ portion of the handles engageable in said upstanding support members are provided with pivot pins engageable in elongated slots in said upstanding support members. 6• A kneeling aid according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein said upstanding support members are provided on their inner facing upper ends with cut-out portions, said handles being slidable downwardly in said support members to lock said handles in their upright position and movable upwards through said slots to a position wherein they can be hinged inwardly into said cut-out portions to a collapsed position above said base part. 7. A kneeling aid according to claim 5 wherein said cut-out portions are provided with supporting lip portions. 8. A kneeling aid according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said handles are hingedly mounted at the rear SU BS TITUTESHEET corners of said base part and extend forwardly and upwardly in their locked position and rearwardly at their ' upper ends to form a handle engaging part. 9. A kneeling aid according to any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein said handles are hingedly mounted at the front corners of said base part and extend rearwardly and upwardly in their locked position and rearwardly at their upper ends to form a handle engaging part. 10. A kneeling aid according to claim -6 wherein one said upstanding support member is longer than the other and one handle is shorter than the other to provide a compact folded configuration in the collapsed position of the handles. SUBSTITUTE SHEET

Inventors: HARPER STANLEY JOHN, HARPER, STANLEY, JOHN
Applicants: METAD PTY LTD, METAD PTY. LTD.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A47C16
IPC codes: A47C16