Abstract:
A novel foot rest for a salon chair specifically designed to allow a user to rest one of their feet on the step as they move around a customer sitting in the chair. The orthopedic footrest is attached to the base of the chair positioned far enough out from the base to provide a support for the user to rest his/her feet but not too far so as to impede the stylist movement about the chair. Resting one foot on the elevated step puts relieves stress on the user&#39;s feet, hips, back and joints thereby reducing pain and injury to the same.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to removable or permanent orthopedic foot rests for salon styling chairs. In particular, an orthopedic foot rest system for salon styling chairs configured to be adjustable in height and supported by a collar system that eliminates the need for floor posts. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Any publications or references discussed herein are presented to describe the background of the invention and to provide additional detail regarding its practice. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention. 
         [0003]    Salon chairs are widely used by stylists and other individuals performing hairdressing services for patron seated in such chairs. A typical salon chair has a rigid tubular U-shaped footrest that is designed for use by the customer seated in the chair and is positioned directly in front of the customer to allow for its use. One footrest system available for salon chairs is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,494,334 to Zvonik. Zvonik describes an improved footrest assembly for a salon chair that replaces a standard one-piece U-shaped tubular footrest. By providing pivotally mounted foot plates on a unique yet simple tubular frame having spaced supports which connect to existing mounting holes of a lower surface of the seat of the salon chair, a user, especially an elderly person, may much more easily get to and from a seated position in the salon chair with the foot plates pivoted up. After being seated in the salon chair, the foot plates are easily pivoted downward to a horizontal position for foot support. However, this footrest is designed for the patron sitting in the chair and not for the stylish. Other designs can be found in the filed for footrest but most if not all are directed for use by the patron not the stylist. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,670, to Rodas, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference, however teaches a tubular footrest unit that is supported by a plurality of upwardly and outwardly extending legs that support the bar from the floor and attach to the chair for use by the stylist. The legs in this system rest on the floor in front of the base and cause a serious tripping hazard for the hair stylist. Since the hair stylist moves around the chair in order to cut the client&#39;s hair, the legs of the device present a serious tripping hazard that far outweighs and benefit provided by the system. In addition, Rodas is not adjustable in height and therefore does not accommodate the varying heights of different stylist. 
         [0005]    Still further Rodas does not provide a multi-level footrest that accommodates different stances that stylist may take when performing different cosmetic procedures. For example, hair coloring may require a different stance than cutting hair, where eyebrow waxing may require yet another stance. Rodas fails to provide such a device. 
         [0006]    In view of the foregoing, what is needed in the market is a removable orthopedic footrest for salon chairs that does not have floor supports, can be adjusted both horizontally and/or vertically to accommodate different stylist, and has a various step down levels to accommodate different stances a stylist may use when working on a customer. The present invention provides such a device and is further described in the section and drawings discussed below. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is directed to an orthopedic footrest configured to surround the pedestal of a salon chair so that a stylist can rest his/her foot on it so as to reduce the amount of pressure on the back and hip when standing for long periods of time. This therefore reduces strain and many orthopedic medical conditions that may occur. 
         [0008]    Accordingly, among the principal objects of the present invention is to provide a stationary or removable foot support unit that extends horizontally and/or vertically for a salon chair so as to aid in reducing medical conditions caused from standing and reaching all day. In particular, an adjustable foot support system that accommodates for different heights and stances used by a stylist so as to assure proper alignment of the hip joint relative to the floor. This assures maximum relief from a variety of medical conditions caused from standing for long periods of time. That is, this allows a person performing salon related services to work comfortably and safely for longer periods of time. 
         [0009]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a foot support system described herein having a collar/bushing system that attaches the unit to the center pedestal of a salon chair and does not require legs to support the footrest off of the floor. This reduces a serious potential tripping hazard for the salon workers as they move around the chair to perform salon related services. 
         [0010]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a foot support system described herein that can be permanently attached to a salon chair or configured to be easily removed without the need for tools. This allows a stylist that works at different chairs and or at different salons to take the unit with them to use at their next job. It also allows a stylist to retrofit existing chairs in a salon that does not have this technology. 
         [0011]    Another object of the present invention is to provide a foot support system described herein in which the angle of the resting part of the foot support unit can be adjusted so as to provide the most comfortable position for the individual user. 
         [0012]    Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a message/vibrating movement for the footrest portion of the foot support unit in order to aid in providing better circulation for the stylist using the chair. 
         [0013]    In particular, the present invention is directed to a footrest for a salon chair comprising a footrest having a foot support portion configured to attach to the pedestal portion of a salon chair. Once attached to the pedestal portion of the chair the footrest extends outwardly form the pedestal portion of the salon chair so as to provide a foot support portion that is positioned off of the floor and does not have any support posts in contact with the floor. The footrest instead uses an adjustable collar system configured to be removably attached to the pedestal of the salon chair so that the footrest portion can be positioned closer to or farther from the floor. 
         [0014]    Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a salon chair having the footrest described herein permanently attached to the chair. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the foot support portion of the footrest is connected to an adjustable collar by a plurality of spoke-like supports and is configured to have at least two different heights from the floor so as to provide a multilevel foot support portion while the foot rest is attached to the pedestal in a single position. 
         [0015]    The footrest described herein can also be configured to further comprise a guide mechanism having a translational guide mechanism for translating the footrest support portions towards and away from the pedestal of said salon chair. 
         [0016]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention the foot support portion of the footrest is configured as a single continuous support alternating in heights from the floor around the circumference of the foot support portion. That is, the foot support portion is attached to the top of the collar at one end, encircles around the collar and attaches to the collar below the original attachment. This gives a foot support spaced at different heights off of the floor. 
         [0017]    In yet another embodiment of the present invention the footrest is described herein is configured to spin around the pedestal until locked into position by a braking system. In this embodiment, the footrest having a gradual continuous raising slope that can be adjusted by a person by releasing the braking system with their foot and spinning the footrest around the pedestal until a comfortable height is reached. This assures that the user can rest his/her foot on the footrest to achieve the proper angle to reduce stress on the hip and other joints associated with standing. 
         [0018]    The present invention is also directed to a kit having the footrest of the present invention, additional attachments to fit different sized salon chairs, cushions for the foot support, removable roller rings of ball bearings in a carry bag for easy transportation. 
         [0019]    The present invention is also directed to a method for preventing hip and back strain while performing salon services around a salon chair by properly using any one of the footrest embodiments described herein. The following sections and figures describe the invention in greater detail and specificity. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a part sectional front view of one embodiment of the footrest of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the footrest of the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a side perspective view of a removable ring of ball bearings to be used in the removable embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the footrest of the present invention attached to a salon chair. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0024]    Hair stylists, as well as other professions, stand on their feet hunched over a client sitting in a salon chair on a continuous basis. This position over time often causes back, hip, joint and feet problems. These problems are often caused by the worker&#39;s own weight placed on his/her hips/joints as he/she stands to properly perform the services required. The vertical support of the weight is constantly shifting and tends to cause strains particularly in the back muscles and hip joints. One way to alleviate these problems is to reduce the amount of weight placed on the hip and feet of the worker. By the worker placing his/her feet on a footrest located at the base of a salon chair, less weight is being supported on the feet and hip of the leg attached to the foot resting on the foot rest. 
         [0025]    However, the stylist resting his/her foot on the footrest at just any angle or height from the floor is not enough. In fact, resting the foot on the footrest at an incorrect height or position unnaturally forces the hip, back and/or knee of the stylist in an awkward position that could cause additional backache and joint injury. 
         [0026]    It has been found that in order to relieve stress on the hip, back and knee, as well as, the feet of a person standing it is essential that hip be aligned at approximately 45-degree angle. Moving towards and away from the chair while performing the salon services on the customer sitting in the chair makes it difficult to maintain the proper resting angle with a single level footrest. In fact, at least 2 different levels are necessary to achieve the proper angle when moving about a customer in a chair while performing salon services. These levels vary with the height of the user and to be effective the footrest must be at the correct height so as to achieve the correct angle defined by the leg and the waist in order to enjoy the benefits of the present invention. 
         [0027]    As with many salons many different stylist can use the same chair in a week or even in the same day. Each stylist will most likely be of a different height, size and may have different pre-existing medical histories as it pertains to their joints, back and hips. Therefore, taking into account the different number of users that may use the footrest of the present invention, there is a need for a model of the present invention that allows a person to easily adjust the permanent height of the footrest as well as provide a range of heights when permanently attached at a given height. That is, once the footrest of the present invention is attached to the pedestal of a salon chair, although it can be released and reset, the easier thing to do is to be able to adjust the height of the footrest without undoing the attachment to the salon chair. As described below in connection with the figures, the present invention can have different configurations depending on the user&#39;s height and/or preference. 
         [0028]    The present invention may be understood more readily by reference to the following detailed description of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying figures, which form a part of this disclosure. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific devices, methods, conditions or parameters described and/or shown herein, and that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments by way of example only and is not intended to be limiting of the claimed invention. 
         [0029]    While the invention is described in the context of a hair salon, that is simply to assist the reader in understanding one particular use of the present invention and in light of the specification it will be clear that the invention can be used with any profession were standing in a major part of the job. For example, this can be used in a dentist office, an optometrist office, even in connection with professions that do work around a chair, i.e. a security guard. In these applications the footrest would be attached to a stand, pole, sitting chair or other device. All of these potential uses are considered to fall within the scope of the invention. 
         [0030]    Also, as used in the specification and including the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural, and reference to a particular numerical value includes at least that particular value, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. 
         [0031]    Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” one particular value and/or to “about” or “approximately” another particular value. When such a range is expressed, another embodiment includes from the one particular value and/or to the other particular value. Similarly, when values are expressed as approximations, by use of the antecedent “about,” it will be understood that the particular value forms another embodiment. 
         [0032]    It is also understood that all spatial references, such as, for example, horizontal, vertical, top, upper, lower, bottom, left and right, are for illustrative purposes only and can be varied within the scope of the disclosure. For example, the references “upper” and “lower” are relative and used only in the context to the other, and are not necessarily “superior” and “inferior”. 
         [0033]    All methods described herein may be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention. 
         [0034]    As used herein, “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “characterized by,” and grammatical equivalents thereof are inclusive or open-ended terms that do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps, but will also be understood to include the more restrictive terms “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of.” 
         [0035]    The following discussion includes a description of a footrest of the present invention, related components and exemplary methods of employing the footrest unit for salon chairs in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. As stated above, alternate embodiments are also disclosed. Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, which are illustrated in the accompanying figures. Turning now to  FIGS. 1-4 , there are illustrated components of the footrest unit for salon chairs in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. 
         [0036]      FIG. 1  shows a footrest  05  for a salon chair that comprises a footrest  05  having a foot support portion  15  and an adjustable collar system  25  that is configured to be permanently or removably attached to a pedestal of the salon chair. The adjustable collar system  25  having a lumen  35  that extends latitudinally from one end of the adjustable collar system  25  to the other end of the adjustable collar system  25 . The adjustable collar system  25  also comprises a ball bearing sleeve  40  that is either attached to an inside surface  50  of the collar system  25  or in direct contact with the inside surface  50  of the collar system  25 . This configuration allows the adjustable collar system  25  to spin around the pedestal of the salon chair. The ball bearing system  40  can have one or more columns or rows of ball bearings and can be configured to rotate 90, 180, 270 or 360 degrees about the pedestal of the salon chair. Other rotational systems can be used in place of the ball bearing system  40  of the present invention as long as it allows the collar to spin around the pedestal of the chair. 
         [0037]    Attached to the outside surface  55  of the adjustable collar system  25  is a plurality of spoke-like supports  20  that are attached to the adjustable collar system  25  at one end and a foot support member  15  at the other. The foot support member  15  is configured to encircle the plurality of spoke-like supports  20 . The plurality of spoke-like supports  20  are configured to secure the foot support member  15  at different heights to the outside surface  55  of the adjustable collar system  25 . That is, the foot support  15  is attached to the outside surface  55  of the adjustable collar system  25  at the top portion  10  of the collar system  25  at one end and graduately cascades down so as to attach at the bottom portion  30  of the collar system  25  at about 360 degrees from the first attachment. In between these two attachment points, the foot support is attached to the collar system  25  by the plurality of spoke-like supports  20  as described herein. This allows the foot support to have different heights off of the floor as a user moves around the circumference of the foot support member  15 . 
         [0038]    This configuration assures that a user can rest their foot on the foot support  15  at the proper height when standing and working on a customer sitting in the chair. As discussed herein, it is essential that the footrest  05  be at the correct height so that the user&#39;s hip is at approximately a 45 degrees angle with the floor and the hip of the user so as to be most effective in relieving stress on the joints from standing. This embodiment of the present invention is designed so that a person of any height can adjust the height of the footrest  05  to achieve the proper angle. Spinning the foot support  15  about the adjustable collar system  25  attached to the salon chair either decreases or increases the height of the footrest  05  off of the floor depending on whether the footrest  05  is being spun in the direction of the increasing slope or decreasing slope of the footrest  05 . 
         [0039]    The footrest  05  of the present invention is also equipped with a collar braking system that is released when a braking system button  45  is pressed and locked when the braking system button  45  is pressed again. One continuous braking button  45  or several braking system buttons  45  can be located on the underside of the foot support  15 . The braking buttons are attached to the collar braking system so that a user can press the braking button  45  to release the brake, spin the footrest  15  to the proper height and lock the footrest  05  in place by activating the braking system by pressing the braking system button  45  again. Once locked, the braking system remains locked until unlocked once again. The collar locking system can be a magnetic locking system, mechanical locking system, a friction locking system or any other type of locking system as long as it can be locked and unlocked with the push of the brake locking system button  45 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 2  shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the footrest  100  of the present invention is equipped with alternating levels of different heights  105  and  135  instead of a gradual sloped foot support show in  FIG. 1 . The alternating levels are like steps that are positioned at different heights off of the ground. This allows the user to spin the collar system  115  to the proper level step so as to assure the proper foot resting height is used. As with the embodiment of the present invention discussed above, the collar system has a lumen  125  and an inside wall having a ball bearing system  130  either in direct contact or attached. Each of the steps of the device is attached to the outside surface  120  by spoke-like supports arranged so as to secure the foot support  105 / 135  to the adjustable collar system  115 . 
         [0041]    As described in  FIG. 1 , the embodiment described in  FIG. 2  is equipped with a collar braking system that is released when a braking system button  165  is pressed and is locked when the braking system button  165  is pressed again. Several braking system buttons  165  or one continuous button are located on the underside of the foot support  105 / 135  and are attached to the collar braking system (not shown) so that a user can release the brake, spin the footrest  105 / 135  to the proper step height and lock the footrest  105 / 135  in place by pressing the braking button  165  once again. The collar locking system can be a magnetic locking system, mechanical locking system, a friction locking system or any other type of locking system as long as it can lock and unlocked with the push of the brake-locking button  165 . 
         [0042]    This, as well as the embodiment described in  FIG. 1 , can be made so that it can be removed from a salon chair for transport to another salon or placed on another salon chair in the same salon. That is, the foot support  100  has a break at two points each located about 180 degrees away from each other. Each break has a male portion and a mating female portion that is configured to receive the male portion. Both the male and female portions have a bore  170  that goes through them in an aligned configuration. A pin  155  having a head at one end and a securing mechanism (such as a carter pin) at the other end is used to secure both the male and the female portions together once the footrest  100  is installed about the salon pedestal. 
         [0043]    Similarly, the collar system  115  and the ball bearing system  130  are configured to have at least one break point  140  that allow the separate ball bearing collar (shown in  FIG. 4 ) to open so that it can be wrapped about the pedestal prior to the footrest  100  being placed on top of said ball bearing system. On the outside and inside surfaces of the collar system  115  is a locking system that is configured to lock and unlock the ball bearing system  130  and the collar  115  together. Once closed, the locking system keeps the collar system/ball bearing system secured together as a single unit and attached to the pedestal. 
         [0044]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , a ball bearing collar  400  is configured as a separate unit that removably attaches to the pedestal of the salon chair. The ball bearing system has a top rim  435  and a bottom rim  420  that are in-line and spaced apart from one another. The top  435  and bottom  420  rims are configured to define a first and a second opening that are joined together by a lumen  445  that is configured to fit about the pedestal of a salon chair. Attached to the top  435  and bottom  420  rims are strands of ball bearings  415  that are configured to have multiple ball bearings  410  spaced apart from one another and positioned on the strands  415  in such a way that each of the ball bearings  410  can rotate about the strands  415 . Above and below each of the ball bearings  410  is a stop  440  that holds each ball bearing  410  in place but allows the ball bearings  410  to rotate about the strand  415 . Multiple strands  415  of ball bearings  410  are attached to and positioned about the first  435  and second  420  rims so as to create a circular configuration. 
         [0045]    The top  435  rim is configured to have a breaking point  430  that is line with a breaking point  430  on the bottom rim  420 . These breaking points are designed to open so that the ball bearing system  400  can be placed about the pedestal of the salon chair. Each of the rims can be flexible so that they can bend and provide enough lead way so that the ball bearing system  400  can be opened and wrapped about the pedestal. The flexible first  435  and second  420  rims will then return back to their original circular configuration so as to hug closely to the pedestal surface. Once in place the two breaking points  430  can be adhered together either with a pin or a screw that also functions to hold the ball bearing system  400  in place. The fastening member can also be a clasp, clip, pin, Velcro®, or the like. Alternative locking members and hinges can be used and fall within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0046]    In a configuration where the top rim  435  and bottom rim  420  are made from rigid material each rim will be equipped with a hinge member  425  that diametrically opposes the each breaking point. This allows the rigid frame to open so that it can be placed in position about the salon chair and closed once it is in place. As with the flexible system, once the ball bearing system  400  is in place, the two breaking points  430  can be adhered together either with a pin or a screw that also functions to hold the ball bearing system  400  to the salon pedestal. Once in place the two breaking points  430  can be adhered together either with a pin or a screw that also functions to hold the ball bearing collar system  400  in place. Alternative locking members and hinges can be used and fall within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0047]    Once the ball bearing collar system  400  is attached to the pedestal of the salon chair, the footrest is attached to the pedestal of the chair directly on top of the ball bearing collar  400  so that the footrest is allowed to spin about the pedestal as discussed herein. That is, in this configuration the footrest discussed herein sandwiches the ball bearing collar  400  against the surface of the pedestal to allow the footrests of the present invention to rotate on the ball bearings  410  about the pedestal. 
         [0048]    In this configuration, the ball bearings rotate about the axis of the connecting strands  415  and allow the footrest that is connected to the salon chair on top of the ball bearing collar  400 , to rotate freely about the pedestal of the salon chair. 
         [0049]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the footrest of the present invention attached to a salon chair  200 . The salon chair  200  has a seat  265 , a base  205  and a footrest  270  for the customer sitting in the chair  265 . The base  205  of the chair  200  is attached to a pedestal  235  that terminates with a floor stand  220  that supports the chair  200  on the floor  225 . Fitted about the pedestal  235  is a footrest  280  having a foot support  230  that is attached to a collar system  210  by a plurality of spoke-like supports  240 . Between the pedestal  235  and the inside surface of the collar system  210  is a ball bearing system  130  that allows the collar system to spin about the pedestal  235 . As with the embodiments described herein, the footrest  280  is equipped with a braking button  45  that when pressed activates and deactivates a braking system. Pressed once, the braking system is released to allow the footrest to spin about the pedestal  235 . Pressed again, the braking system is activated and the footrest is locked in place. Either of the footrests described herein can be used as described in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0050]    It will be understood that various modifications may be made to the embodiments disclosed herein. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplification of the various embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.