Patent Publication Number: US-8523282-B2

Title: Foldable leg support

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to office furniture and, more particularly, to a foldable leg support. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     People working at an office for a long time have poor blood circulation to impact their health. However, a novel and inventive foldable leg support is capable of supporting legs comfortably to improve blood circulation. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable leg support that obtains a positioning function as a supporting surface is stored, and that includes a limiting block defined on an inner side of a first end of a rotary arm to support the supporting surface when the foldable leg support is expanded and retracted. 
     A further objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable leg support which having the supporting surface including a handle arranged therebeneath to turn the supporting surface easily. When the rotary arm is expended and retracted, a boss of a rotating bar is inserted into two different locking elements, thereby positioning the rotary arm. When the rotating bar is rotated outward, the boss is disengaged from the locking element, thus rotating the rotary arm. 
     Another objective of the present invention is to provide a foldable leg support capable of comforting a user&#39;s leg. 
     To obtain the above objectives, a foldable leg support provided by the present invention contains two rotary arms and a supporting surface between the two rotary arms, with the two rotary arms being axially rotatably connected with a seat member. Two first ends of the two rotary arms are rotatably connected with two sides of the seat member respectively, and two second ends of the rotary arms are rotatably coupled with the supporting surface individually. The supporting surface includes two semi-periphery projections disposed on two peripheral sides thereof respectively, and each semi-periphery projection is biased against by a spring. Each rotary arm includes a notch fixed on an inner side thereof to retain with the semi-periphery projection or includes a hole fixed on an inner side thereof to retain with the semi-periphery projection. 
     Each rotary arm includes a limiting block defined on an inner side of the first end thereof. 
     The two first ends of the two rotary arms are rotatably coupled with the two sides of the seat member. The supporting surface is fixed or is slidably defined supported between the two rotary arms by using two guide rails formed on an inner sides of the two rotary arms. 
     The seat member includes positioning protrusions formed therebeneath, and a shaft is inserted through the positioning protrusions. The rotary arms are fitted on the shaft to connect with the positioning protrusions rotatably. 
     Between the rotary arm and the positioning protrusions is defined a rotating bar. Each and positioning protrusion includes two locking elements disposed therein, and each locking element is retained with a boss of the rotating bar. 
     The locking element is selected from a cutout, a bore, and a recess. 
     The supporting surface is made of a soft fabric material, a soft net-shaped material, or a feather material and is formed by selecting from a curved surface and a flat surface. 
     Thereby, when in a rest position, the foldable leg support is pulled outward to expand the supporting surface. Hence, the legs are capable of being extended on the supporting surface comfortably to improve blood circulation, and the foldable leg support is suitable for any size of the legs. 
     Besides, when the foldable leg support is not used, the supporting surface is put between the two rotary arms. Then, the rotary arms and the supporting surface are folded under an office chair, saving storage space. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view showing the operation of a foldable leg support according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is another perspective view showing the operation of the foldable leg support according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the exploded components of the foldable leg support according to the first embodiment of the present invention; invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is a perspective view showing the operation of a locking element of the foldable leg support according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3B  is another perspective view showing the operation of the locking element of the foldable leg support according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3C  is also another perspective view showing the operation of the locking element of the foldable leg support according to the first embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing the assembly of a foldable leg support according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing the assembly of a foldable leg support according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will be clearer from the following description when viewed together with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustration only, the preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B, and  2 , a foldable leg support according to a first embodiment of the present invention comprises two rotary arms  1  and a supporting surface  2  between the two rotary arms  1 . The two rotary arms I are rotatably connected with a seat member  3 . Two first ends of the two rotary aims  1  are rotatably connected with two sides of the seat member  3  respectively, and two second ends of the rotary arms  1  are rotatably coupled with the supporting surface  2  individually. 
     The supporting surface  2  includes two semi-periphery projections  4  disposed on two peripheral sides thereof respectively. Each semi-periphery projection  4  is biased against by a spring  41 , and each rotary arm  1  includes a notch  5  (or a hole  5 ′) fixed on an inner side thereof to retain with the semi-periphery projection  4 , obtaining a positioning function as the supporting surface  2  is stored. 
     Each rotary arm  1  also includes a limiting block  6  defined on an inner side of the first end thereof to support the supporting surface  2  when the foldable leg support is expanded and retracted. 
     To turn the supporting surface  2  easily, the supporting surface  2  includes a handle  7  arranged therebeneath. 
     The seat member  3  includes at least one positioning protrusion  8  formed therebeneath, and a shaft  9  is inserted through the positioning protrusions  8 . The rotary arms  1  are fitted on the shaft  9  to connect with the positioning protrusions  8  rotatably. 
     Between the rotary arm  1  and the positioning protrusions  8  is defined a rotating bar  10 , and each positioning protrusion  8  includes two locking elements  81  disposed therein. Each locking element  81  is retained with a boss  11  of the rotating bar  10  so that when the rotary arm  1  is expended and retracted, the boss  11  of the rotating bar  10  is inserted into two different locking elements  81 , thereby positioning the rotary arm  1 . When the rotating bar  10  is rotated outward, the boss  11  is disengaged from the locking element  81 , thus rotating the rotary arm  1 . As shown in  FIGS. 3A-3C , the locking element  81  is selected from a cutout  811 , a bore  812 , and a recess  813 . 
     The supporting surface  2  is a net-shaped curve surface and is made of a soft material to comfort a user&#39;s legs. 
     A difference of a foldable leg support of a second embodiment of the present invention from that of the first embodiment contains: 
     two first ends of two rotary arms  1  rotatably coupled with two sides of a seat member  3 , and a supporting surface  2  fixed between the two rotary arms  1  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . 
     A difference of a foldable leg support of a third embodiment of the present invention from that of the first embodiment contains: 
     two first ends of two rotary arms  1  rotatably connected with two sides of a seat member  3 , and a supporting surface  2  is slidably defined between the two rotary arms  1  by using two guide rails  12  formed on inner sides of the two rotary arms  1  individually as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     While various embodiments in accordance with the present invention have been shown and described, it is clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.