Patent Publication Number: US-2013241261-A1

Title: Folding chair riser

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 61/611,429, filed Mar. 15, 2012, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to chair accessories and, more particularly, to extenders that can attach to legs of a chair, such as a folding chair, to increase the height of the chair. 
     Folding chairs are kept in many households to provide impromptu seating as needed. When having large family meals during holidays, for example, there may be more people than dining room chairs. Folding chairs are often relied upon for additional seating. However, the people that get the folding chairs are often seating significantly lower than others around the table. 
     When used for seating at a standard dining room table, folding chairs are typically too low for comfortable eating. Placing the folding chair on objects to achieve the desired height can be uncomfortable and unsafe. For example, people can sit on books or blocks to raise them up to a comfortable sitting level. However, when this is done, not only can it be dangerous, but it can also raise the person above the back rest, where the person seated effectively has no back rest. 
     As can be seen, there is a need for a safe and convenient way to raise the height of folding chairs, and other similar chairs. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one aspect of the present invention, a chair riser apparatus comprises a plurality of risers operable to receive front and rear legs of a chair; and a set screw for securing the plurality of risers to the front and rear legs of the chair. 
     In another aspect of the present invention, a chair riser apparatus comprises a pair of front leg risers and a pair of rear leg risers operable to receive front and rear legs of a chair; a leg placement hole formed in each of the pairs of front and rear leg risers, the leg placement hole receiving the front and rear legs of the chair to provide a first height adjustment of the chair; a set screw for securing the pairs of front and rear leg risers to the front and rear legs of the chair; a height adjustment dowel operable to be placed at the ends of the front and rear legs of the chair, between the pairs of front and rear leg risers and the front and rear legs of the chair to provide a second, higher height adjustment of the chair; and a height adjustment dowel storage hole formed in each of the pairs of front and rear leg risers, the height adjustment dowel storage hole operable to store the height adjustment dowel when not in use and the chair is supported at a first height adjustment. 
     In a further aspect of the present invention, a chair riser apparatus comprises a plurality of risers operable to receive front and rear legs of a chair, wherein at least two of the plurality of risers are formed in a U-shape to receive a continuous beam of the chair; a set screw for securing the plurality of risers to the front and rear legs of the chair; and a dowel placement hole formed in an interior base of the U-shaped risers for receiving an optional height adjustment dowel. 
     These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of chair extenders, installed on a folding chair, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of a front leg riser according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of a rear leg riser according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the front leg riser of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an exploded perspective view of the front leg riser of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the rear leg riser of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the rear leg riser of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the use of a height adjustment dowel; 
         FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 1 , illustrating the use of a height adjustment dowel; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a chair raised by chair extenders according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 13  is a detailed perspective view of rear leg risers of  FIG. 12 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a detailed perspective view of the rear leg risers of  FIG. 12 , illustrating the use of a height adjustment dowel; and 
         FIG. 15  is an exploded perspective view of the rear leg riser of  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
     Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a set of extenders that attach to chair legs, such as folding chair legs, to safely and easily increase the height of the chair. The extenders can be designed as blocks that attach to the chair legs and can provide two different height adjustment positions. The blocks do not restrict movement of the chair while providing the desired height for user comfort. The blocks can be designed to receive straight legs and can also be designed to receive horizontal beam legs. The blocks can be fixed to the chair legs with one or more set screws to provide a secure, safe, and convenient chair height adjustment. The extenders of the present invention eliminate the need for a user to sit on phone books or pillows to achieve a desired seating height. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 11 , a chair, such as a four-footed folding chair, can typically rest on a surface on a pair of forward legs  16  and a pair of rear legs  18 . Front leg extender blocks  10  can be placed on the end of the forward legs  16  and back leg extender blocks  12  can be placed on the end of the rear legs  18 . The front leg extender blocks  10  and the back leg extender blocks  12  can raise the height of the chair  14  while not limiting the movement of function thereof. 
     The front leg extender blocks  10  can include front leg extender block body  20  having a front leg placement hole  24  for insertion of the forward leg  16 . A front leg set screw hole  26  can communicate the front leg placement hole  24  with a front face of the front leg extender block  10 . A knife thread insert  40  can be disposed in the front leg set screw hole  26 . A set screw  42  can be threaded into the knife thread insert  40  so that tightening the set screw  42  causes the set screw  42  to press and secure the forward leg  16  in the front leg placement hole  24 . The front leg extender block  10  can have a curved rest surface  28  to provide contact with a floor surface regardless of the angle of the forward leg  16 . 
     A rear leg extender bock  12  can be designed similar to the front leg extender block  10 . The rear leg extender block  12  can include a rear leg extender block body  30  having a rear leg placement hole  34  therein. A set screw  42  can act in a similar way as described above (by being threaded into a knife thread insert  40  disposed in a rear leg set screw hole  36 ) to secure the rear leg  18  in the rear leg placement hole  34 . The rear leg extender block  12  can have a curved rest surface  38  to provide contact with the floor surface regardless of the angle of the rear leg  18 . 
     In some embodiments of the present invention, a sleeve, such as a rubber sleeve  46 , can be disposed in the front and rear leg placement holes  24 ,  34  to protect the front and rear legs  16 ,  18  and help secure the legs  16 ,  18  in position within the placement holes  24 ,  34  when the set screws  42  are tightened. 
     The front leg extender block body  20  can include a height adjustment dowel storage hole  22  for placement of a height adjustment dowel  44 . Similarly, the rear leg extender bock body  30  can include a height adjustment dowel storage hole  32  for placement of another height adjustment dowel  44 . The height adjustment dowels  44  can be removed from the height adjustment dowel storage holes  22 ,  32  and be placed in the front and rear leg placement holes  24 ,  34  prior to insertion of the front and rear legs  16 ,  18  to provide an increased, second height position for the chair  14 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 12 through 15 , it can be appreciated that some chairs  50  have a continuous beam  52  disposed between the chair legs  16 ,  18  instead of straight chair legs as shown and described above. In these cases, a continuous beam leg extender  48  can be formed as a U-shape with a notch  54  for receiving the continuous beam  52 . The continuous beam leg extender  48  can have one or more set screw holes  56 , typically two set screw holes  56  in the continuous beam leg extender body  62 . Knife thread inserts  40  can fit into the set screw holes  56  and a set screw  42  can be threaded into the knife thread inserts  40  so that the set screw  42  can be tightened against the continuous beam  52  to secure the continuous beam leg extender  48  thereto. 
     Multiple height adjustments can be provided by a height adjustment dowel  44  that can be stored in a continuous bean leg extender height adjustment dowel storage hole  58 . Without using the height adjustment dowel  44 , the chair  50  can be raised to a first height adjustment as shown in  FIG. 13 . When using the height adjustment dowel  44  by placing the height adjustment dowel in a dowel placement hole in the continuous beam leg extender body  62  (at the interior base of the U-shape), a second height adjustment can be achieved, as shown in  FIG. 14 . 
     The leg placement holes  24 ,  34  can be sided of the appropriate diameter to receive the legs  16 ,  18  of the chair. The height adjustment dowel  44  can be sized to fit into the leg placement holes  24 ,  34 . 
     While  FIGS. 12 through 15  show the base of the U-shaped continuous bean leg extender body  62  and the height adjustment dowel  44  as being flat, in some embodiments, these elements can be rounded to match the shape of the continuous beam  52 . 
     While the Figures show the continuous beam  52  being a rear support for the chair  50 . The continuous beam  52  could be disposed as the front support or as both the front and rear support for the chair  50 . 
     The various chair leg risers described above can be made from various materials. For example, the chair leg risers can be made of one or more of wood, plastic, composite, metal or the like. 
     It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.