Patent Publication Number: US-2011073724-A1

Title: Foldable supporting stand

Description:
This application claims, under 35 U.S.C. §119, priority to Taiwanese Application No. 098133216, filed Sep. 30, 2009, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, inclusive of the specification, claims, and drawings. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure relates to a supporting stand and more particularly, to a foldable supporting stand. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Regular power tools are generally classified in two types, namely, a stationary type and a bench top type. Normally, a stationary power tool has a relatively larger size, and must be positioned on the floor during use, while a bench top power tool has a relatively smaller size, and is configured for placement on a certain height of table or supporting stand for easy operation by an operator. 
     A bench top tool is more convenient than a stationary tool for movement from one workplace to another. A user may have to move a bench top tool from one workplace to another to satisfy different application requirements. However, when a table is unavailable, a supporting stand must be used and moved together with the bench top power tool. To assure supporting stability, conventional power tool supporting stands are commonly designed to be quite heavy and thus, sturdy. If such a power tool supporting stand is not foldable, it will be difficult to move and store such a stand when the stand is not in use. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. Accordingly, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a foldable supporting stand, which facilitates folding and elevation adjustment and is practical for steadily supporting a bench top power tool thereon. 
     In particular, a foldable supporting stand is settable between an extended operative position and a collapsed non-operative position. The foldable supporting stand includes a hub having a center axis, a foot member unit pivotally connected to the hub, and multiple supporting bars each having one connecting end respectively pivotally connected to the hub. The foldable supporting stand includes multiple positioning mechanisms adapted for securing the supporting bars to the hub respectively. 
     When the foldable supporting stand is set in the collapsed non-operative position, the foot member unit and the supporting bars are maintained close to the center axis of the hub. When the foldable supporting stand is set in the extended operative position, the opposed supporting ends of the supporting bars are positioned in a single plane to provide a supporting plane, and the foot member unit supports the hub above the floor. 
     Thus, when collapsed, the foldable supporting stand occupies less space and is convenient for storage, carrying and delivery. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an elevational front view of a foldable supporting stand in accordance with a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2A  is a schematic plain view showing the foldable supporting stand of  FIG. 1  in the collapsed configuration. 
         FIG. 2B  is a schematic plain view showing the foldable supporting stand of  FIG. 1  in the extended configuration. 
         FIG. 3A  is a schematic plain view of a part of a foldable supporting stand in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the arrangement between each supporting bar and the associated positioning mechanism. 
         FIG. 3B  corresponds to  FIG. 3A , showing the angular position of the supporting bar in an adjusted position. 
         FIG. 4A  is a schematic exploded view of a part of a foldable supporting stand in accordance with a third embodiment of the present disclosure, showing the arrangement between each supporting bar and the associated positioning mechanism. 
         FIG. 4B  corresponds to  FIG. 4A , showing the supporting bar secured to the hub in one selected angular position. 
         FIG. 5A  is a schematic applied view of the first embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a power tool supported on the foldable supporting stand. 
         FIG. 5B  illustrates the collapsed configuration of the foldable supporting stand in accordance with the first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning first to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 A and  2 B, as particularly shown in  FIG. 1 , the foldable supporting stand  100  comprises a hub  110 , a foot member unit  120 , four supporting bars  130  and four positioning mechanisms  140 . The foot member unit  120  includes four foot bars  121  respectively pivotally connected to the hub  110  for supporting the hub  110  above the floor. The supporting bars  130  each have one connecting end pivotally connected to the hub  110  and the other opposed supporting end terminating in a locating plate  131 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , the four positioning mechanisms  140  are located on the hub  110  and adapted for locking the supporting bars  130  to the hub  110 . 
     The hub  110  is a radially extended hollow block member, having a crossed, X-shaped or Y-shaped profile. Thus, the four ends of the radially extended hollow block member of the hub  110 , when viewed from the top or bottom side, can constitute a multilateral plane, for example, a square plane, non-square plane, or triangular plane. Because most conventional power tools have a rectangular shape, the four ends of the radially extended hollow block member of the hub  110  preferably constitute a non-square plane for a better fit for such rectangular shaped power tools. 
     As stated above, the foot member unit  120  includes four foot bars  121 . Each foot bar  121  has one connecting end pivotally connected to the hub  110  and an opposed supporting end configured to engage a supporting surface (such as the floor) in order to support the hub  110  above the supporting surface. Before the use of the foldable supporting stand  100 , the foot bars  121  can be moved toward the center axis of the hub  110  to a collapsed position where the foot bars  121  are aligned and maintained in parallel to the center axis of the hub  110 ; when in use, the foot bars  121  are radially outwardly rotated away from the center axis of the hub  110  to an extended position. 
     The hub  110  is provided with four stop members  122  that can be in the form of pins or stop blocks adapted for stopping movement of the foot bars  121  in order to limit the maximum angle through which the foot bars  121  can turn, thus enabling the foot bars  121  to support the hub  110  steadily above the floor. 
     As stated above, each supporting bar  130  has one connecting end pivotally connected to the hub  110 . The location of the pivot connection between each supporting bar  130  and the hub  110  is positioned above the location of the pivot connection between each foot bar  121  and the hub  110 . 
     When not in use, the supporting bars  130  are rotated downwards toward the center axis of the hub  110  and maintained substantially in parallel to the center axis of the hub  110 . When in use, the supporting bars  130  are rotated upwards to an extended position above the elevation of the hub  110 , thus positioning the locating plates  131  in a single plane for supporting a power tool. The locating plate  131  of each supporting bar  130  has a locking lever  132  disposed at one lateral side for locking the locating plate  131  to the supported power tool, in order to avoid accidental separation of the power tool from the foldable supporting stand  100  during operation. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2A , when the foldable supporting stand  100  is not in use, the foot bars  121  of the foot member unit  120  and the supporting bars  130  and maintained in the downwardly extended collapsed position in a substantially parallel manner. Thus, when collapsed, the foldable supporting stand  100  occupies less space and is convenient for storage, carrying, and delivery. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2B , each supporting bar  130  has a longitudinal sliding slot  133  disposed adjacent to the connecting end remote from the opposed supporting end carrying the locating plate  131 , the sliding slot  133  coupled to one respective pivot pin  134  in the hub  110 . Each positioning mechanism  140  comprises a male positioning member  141  located on the hub  110 , and a female positioning member  142  located on the connecting end of one supporting bar  130 . The male positioning member  141  can be a pin or bolt fixedly fastened to the hub  110 . The female positioning member  142  can be a notch formed on the connecting end of one supporting bar  130 . 
     When the user turns the supporting bars  130  upwards to a predetermined height, the supporting bars  130  can be axially moved along the sliding slot  133  toward the respective male positioning members  141  to force the respective female positioning members  142  into engagement with the respective male positioning members  141 , thereby holding the supporting bars  130  in the extended position. 
     Each positioning mechanism  140  further comprises a quick-release device  143  (shown in  FIG. 1 ) inserted through the hub  110  and a respective supporting bar  130 . When one supporting bar  130  is held at the predetermined height by the respective positioning mechanism  140 , the user can operate the respective quick-release device  143  to lock down the supporting bar  130 . Thus, before rotating the respective supporting bar  130 , the user must release the quick-release device  143 . The quick-release devices  143  of the positioning mechanisms  140  can be respectively coaxially mounted with the pivot pins  134 . After the supporting bars  130  have been set in position by the respective positioning mechanisms  140 , the quick-release devices  143  are operated to lock the supporting bars  130  by a clamping action on the respective supporting bars  130  between flanged portions of the hub  110 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A , in a foldable supporting stand in accordance with a second embodiment of the present disclosure, each positioning mechanism  140  includes three male positioning members  141  that are fixedly mounted in the hub  110 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , the female positioning member  142  of each positioning mechanism  140  that is located on the connecting end of one supporting bar  130  can be selectively moved into engagement with one of the three male positioning members  141  of the respective positioning mechanism  140  to hold the respective supporting bar  130  in one of three different angular positions, i.e., the supporting bars  130  can be adjusted subject to the size of the power tool to be supported. Thus, the applicability of the foldable supporting stand  100  for different sized power tools is enhanced. 
     Further, the female positioning member (notch)  142  of each positioning mechanism  140  has a chamfered edge  142   a  that smoothly guides the respective female positioning member (notch)  142  into engagement with one of the three male positioning members  141 , avoiding friction between the male positioning member  141  and the female positioning member (notch)  142  and enhancing their durability. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A , in a foldable supporting stand in accordance with a third embodiment of the present disclosure, each positioning mechanism  150 , includes a male positioning member  151  that is fixedly mounted on the connecting end of one supporting bar  130  adjacent to the longitudinal sliding slot  133  of the supporting bar  130 , and a female positioning member  152  located on the hub  110 . 
     The female positioning member  152  is a smoothly arced sliding slot located on the hub  110 , having three locating grooves  153  perpendicularly extended from the axis of the slot on one side thereof. The male positioning member  151  is a pin or bolt inserted through and movable along the smoothly arced sliding slot of the female positioning member  152 , and can be selectively engaged into one of the three locating grooves  153 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the male positioning member  151  that is fixedly mounted on the connecting end of one supporting bar  130  can be selectively moved into engagement with one of the three locating grooves  153  of the female positioning member  152  to hold the respective supporting bar  130  in one of three different angular positions, i.e., the supporting bars  130  can be adjusted subject to the size of the power tool to be supported. 
     To adjust the angular position of each supporting bar  130 , the supporting bar  130  is pulled axially backwardly relative to the hub  110  to move the longitudinal sliding slot  133  relative to the associated pivot pin  134  and to disengage the male positioning member  151  from the respective locating groove  153  Next, the supporting bar  130  is rotated about the associated pivot pin  134  to move the male positioning member  151  along the smoothly arced sliding slot of the female positioning member  152 , and then the supporting bar  130  is slid axially forwardly relative to the hub  110  to move the male positioning member  151  into another locating groove  153  of the female positioning member  152 . 
       FIG. 5A  illustrates an application example of the foldable supporting stand  100  in accordance with the first embodiment of the present disclosure. When a power tool  200  is supported on the locating plates  131  of the supporting bars  130 , the locking levers  132  are operated to lock the locating plate  131  to the supported power tool  200 , in order to avoid accidental separation of the power tool  200  from the foldable supporting stand  100  due to vibrations produced during operation of the power tool  200 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5B , when the female positioning members (notches)  142  are disengaged from the male positioning members  141 , the supporting bars  130  and the foot bars  121  are turned downwards toward the center axis of the hub  110  and maintained in a substantially parallel manner convenient for carrying, storage, or delivery of the stand  100 . 
     As discussed above, by way of adjusting the angular position of the supporting bars  130 , the foldable supporting stand can support different sizes of power tools at different elevations to fit different application requirements. 
     Although particular embodiments of the disclosure have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the disclosure is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.