Patent Publication Number: US-2016220016-A1

Title: Foldable support device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a support device and, more particularly, to a foldable support device that can be collapsed and expanded. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional support device  1  in accordance with the prior art shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  comprises a stand unit  11 , a pivoting mechanism  12 , and a table plate  13  mounted on the top of the pivoting mechanism  12 . The stand unit  11  includes two stands  110  that are pivoted about a rotation center to expand and fold the stand unit  11 . Each of the stands  110  includes two upright posts  111  spaced from each other and a crossbar  112  located between and connecting the upright posts  111 . The pivoting mechanism  12  includes a base  121  mounted on a rotation center of the stands  110 , a pivot bracket  122  mounted on the bottom of the table plate  13 , and a shaft  123  extending through the base  121  and the pivot bracket  122  to pivotally connect the base  121  and the pivot bracket  122 . When the support device  1  is disposed at an expanded position as shown in  FIG. 1 , the upper end of each of the upright posts  111  of the stands  110  supports the bottom of the table plate  13 . When the support device  1  is to be switched from the expanded position to a folded position as shown in  FIG. 2 , one of the stands  110  is rotated so that the upright posts  111  of the stands  110  are moved to abut each other. Then, the table plate  13  is driven, and the pivot bracket  122  is rotated about the shaft  123 . When the support device  1  is switched to the folded position, the table plate  13  is disposed at an upright position and located at a side of the stand unit  11 . Thus, the support device  1  can be folded to have a reduced volume. However, the table plate  13  cannot be folded so that the volume of the support device  1  cannot be reduced to the minimum. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a support device comprising a bearing unit, and a supporting frame. The bearing unit includes two bearing members. Each of the bearing members has an abutting side. The supporting frame includes a supporting mechanism combined with the bearing members of the bearing unit, and a stand unit connected with the supporting mechanism and supporting a bottom of the bearing unit. The supporting mechanism includes a mounting bracket mounted on the bottom of the bearing unit. The mounting bracket includes two connecting plates each mounted on a bottom of one of the bearing members, and a supporting plate disposed between the connecting plates and pivotally connected with the connecting plates. When the support device is disposed at an expanded position, the abutting sides of the bearing members are parallel and juxtaposed to each other, and the supporting plate of the supporting mechanism bridges and supports the bottom of the abutting sides of the bearing members. When the support device is switched to a collapsed position, the bearing members are arranged in an upright manner and are located at two opposite side of the supporting frame. 
     According to the primary advantage of the present invention, the support device has a largely reduced volume and has an enhanced strength to withstand a larger force or weight. 
     According to another advantage of the present invention, when the support device is switched to the collapsed position, the supporting frame is folded, and the bearing members are located at two opposite side of the supporting frame, so that the volume of the support device is reduced largely. 
     According to a further advantage of the present invention, the supporting frame enhances the structural strength of the bearing unit so that the support device can withstand a larger force or weight. 
     According to a further advantage of the present invention, the support device is available for a table, a chair, a shelf, a podium and the like, thereby enhancing the versatility of the support device. 
     Further benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional support device in accordance with the prior art. 
         FIG. 2  is a folded view of the conventional support device as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a partially bottom exploded perspective view of a support device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a bottom cross-sectional assembly view of the support device as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a locally enlarged view of the support device as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a locally enlarged view of the support device as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional assembly view of the support device as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the support device taken along line VIII-VIII as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic cross-sectional operational view showing connection of a locking unit and a supporting mechanism of the support device. 
         FIG. 10  is a folded view of the support device as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 11  is a folded view of the support device as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 12  is a partially bottom exploded perspective view of a support device in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the drawings and initially to  FIGS. 3-5 , a support device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a bearing unit  3 , a supporting frame  2  for lifting the bearing unit  3 , a positioning mechanism  4  mounted on a bottom of the bearing unit  3  and connected with the supporting frame  2  to expand the supporting frame  2  solidly and stably, and a locking unit  5  mounted on the supporting frame  2  to prevent the supporting frame  2  from being folded improperly. When in use, the support device is switched between an expanded position and a collapsed position. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support device is available for a table, a chair, a shelf, a podium and the like, to support an object or a human body. 
     The bearing unit  3  includes two bearing members  31 , and two hinge members  32  each bridging and pivotally connected with the bearing members  31 . The bearing members  31  are disposed between a first position as shown in  FIG. 3  where the bearing members  31  are juxtaposed horizontally to each other and a second position as shown in  FIG. 11  where the bearing members  31  are arranged in an upright manner and are in parallel with each other. Each of the bearing members  31  has an abutting side  311 , and the abutting sides  311  of the bearing members  31  are adjacent to each other. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the bearing members  31  is a plate or board. 
     The supporting frame  2  is located under the bearing unit  3  and includes a supporting mechanism  21  mounted on the bottom of the bearing unit  3  and located at a geometric center of the bearing unit  3 , and a stand unit  22  pivotally connected with the supporting mechanism  21 . The supporting mechanism  21  bridges the bearing members  31  and is located between and in line with the hinge members  32 . The supporting mechanism  21  includes an upright central post  211 , and a mounting bracket  212  mounted on an upper end of the central post  211 . Preferably, the central post  211  and the mounting bracket  212  are combined securely by fixing members, such as screws, rivets or the like. Alternatively, the central post  211  and the mounting bracket  212  are combined securely by soldering or rivet pressing. The mounting bracket  212  includes two substantially L-shaped connecting plates  213  each mounted on a bottom of one of the bearing members  31  by a plurality fixing members, and a substantially U-shaped supporting plate  214  disposed between the connecting plates  213 . Each of the connecting plates  213  is pivotally connected with the supporting plate  214  by a first pivot shaft  215  and has an abutting wall  216 . The supporting plate  214  has an abutting wall  217 . Thus, when the support device is disposed at the expanded position, the abutting wall  216  of each of the connecting plates  213  is juxtaposed to and in line with the abutting wall  217  of the supporting plate  214 . 
     The stand unit  22  includes two stands  220 . Each of the stands  220  includes two upright modules  221  each supporting the bottom of each of the bearing members  31  when the support device is disposed at the expanded position, and at least one transverse module  222  connected with the upright modules  221  and pivotally connected with the central post  211 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the stands  220  includes two spaced transverse modules  222  each of which is connected with the upright modules  221  and pivotally connected with the central post  211 . Each of the upright modules  221  of each of the stands  220  includes an upright outer sleeve  224  having a positioning hole  223 , an inner sleeve  225  retractably mounted in the outer sleeve  224 , and a positioning member  226  mounted on the inner sleeve  225  and releasably locked in the positioning hole  223  of the outer sleeve  224 . Each of the upright modules  221  of each of the stands  220  of the supporting frame  2  has an upper end provided with a locking protrusion  227 . Preferably, the locking protrusion  227  of each of the upright modules  221  of each of the stands  220  is formed on the outer sleeve  224 . The transverse module  222  of each of the stands  220  includes a rotation sleeve  228  pivotally mounted on the central post  211 , and two extensions  229  each connected between the rotation sleeve  228  and the outer sleeve  224  of one of the upright modules  221 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4-6 , the positioning mechanism  4  includes a plurality of positioning seats  40  respectively mounted on the bottom of each of the bearing members  31 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the positioning mechanism  4  includes four positioning seats  40 . Each of the positioning seats  40  includes a main body  41  provided with a positioning recess  414 , and a guide portion  42  integrally connected with the main body  41 . The main body  41  of each of the positioning seats  40  has a base wall  411  mounted on the bottom of one of the bearing members  31 , a substantially U-shaped sidewall  412  protruding downward and vertically from the base wall  411 , and a bottom wall  413  extending horizontally from a bottom of the sidewall  412 . The sidewall  412  and the bottom wall  413  of the main body  41  of each of the positioning seats  40  are combined to form the positioning recess  414 . The positioning recess  414  of the main body  41  of each of the positioning seats  40  has an opening  415  directed toward the guide portion  42  and has height and width corresponding to that of the locking protrusion  227  of one of the stands  220 . The guide portion  42  of each of the positioning seats  40  has a proximate end located adjacent to the positioning recess  414  and a distal end spaced away from the positioning recess  414 . The guide portion  42  of each of the positioning seats  40  has a guiding ramp  421  which is directed downward and is gradually tapered from the proximate end toward the distal end of the guide portion  42 . 
     The locking unit  5  is mounted on the supporting mechanism  21  to prevent the stands  220  from being pivoted. The locking unit  5  is pivotally mounted on the central post  211  and includes a stop piece  51  located between the transverse modules  222  of the stands  220 , and a clamping wall  54  connected with the stop piece  51  and defining a locking recess  53  snapped onto the central post  211 . The locking recess  53  has an inner diameter corresponding to a diameter of the central post  211 . In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the locking unit  5  is pivotally connected with the central post  211  of the supporting frame  2  by a second pivot shaft  50 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 7-9 , when the support device is disposed at the expanded position as shown in  FIG. 7 , the locking protrusion  227  of each of the upright modules  221  of each of the stands  220  is guided along the guiding ramp  421  of one of the positioning seats  40  into the positioning recess  414 , and each of the connecting plates  213  of the mounting bracket  212  of the supporting mechanism  21  is mounted on the bottom of one of the bearing members  31 . At this time, the abutting wall  217  of the supporting plate  214  of the supporting mechanism  21  bridges the abutting sides  311  of the bearing members  31 , and co-operates with the hinge members  32  of the bearing unit  3  to support the bearing members  31 . Thus, when the support device is disposed at the expanded position, the bearing members  31  are supported solidly and stably by the supporting mechanism  21  and the upright modules  221  of each of the stands  220 . Then, the locking unit  5  is pivoted about the second pivot shaft  50  and is moved upward so that the locking recess  53  of the locking unit  5  is snapped onto the central post  211 , and the stop piece  51  of the locking unit  5  is located between the extensions  229  of the transverse modules  222  of the stands  220 , to prevent the stands  220  from being pivoted freely. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inner sleeve  225  is retractably mounted in the outer sleeve  224  to adjust the length of each of the upright modules  221  of each of the stands  220  as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8-11 , when the support device is to be switched from the expanded position to the collapsed position as shown in  FIG. 11 , the locking unit  5  is pivoted about the second pivot shaft  50  and is moved downward so that the locking recess  53  of the locking unit  5  is detached from the central post  211 , and the stop piece  51  of the locking unit  5  is separated from the extensions  229  of the transverse modules  222  of the stands  220 . Thus, the supporting frame  2  is unlocked from the locking unit  5  so that the stands  220  can be pivoted freely. Then, the stands  220  are rotated about the central post  211 , so that the locking protrusion  227  of each of the upright modules  221  of each of the stands  220  is detached from the positioning recess  414  of each of the positioning seats  40 . In such a manner, the stands  220  are pivoted toward each other and are moved from the expanded position as shown in  FIG. 4  to the collapsed position as shown in  FIG. 10 , so that the supporting frame  2  is folded. After the stands  220  of the supporting frame  2  are collapsed, the bearing members  31  are pivoted and moved downward by action of gravity and are located at two opposite side of the supporting frame  2  as shown in  FIG. 11 , so that the support device is switched to the collapsed position. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , each of the stands  220  includes a transverse module  222  located between and connecting the upright modules  221  and pivotally connected with the central post  211 . 
     In conclusion, the supporting plate  214  of the supporting mechanism  21  bridges the abutting sides  311  of the bearing members  31 , and co-operates with the hinge members  32  of the bearing unit  3  to support the bearing members  31 , so that when the support device is disposed at the expanded position, the bearing members  31  are supported solidly and stably by the supporting mechanism  21  and the upright modules  221  of each of the stands  220 . 
     Accordingly, when the support device is switched to the collapsed position, the supporting frame  2  is folded, and the bearing members  31  are located at two opposite side of the supporting frame  2 , so that the volume of the support device is reduced largely. In addition, the supporting frame  2  enhances the structural strength of the bearing unit  3  so that the support device can withstand a larger force or weight. Further, the support device is available for a table, a chair, a shelf, a podium and the like, thereby enhancing the versatility of the support device. 
     Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment(s) as mentioned above, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover such modifications and variations that fall within the true scope of the invention.