Patent Publication Number: US-8991554-B2

Title: Mechanic&#39;s leaning device

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/500,412, filed on Jun. 23, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed to a mechanic&#39;s leaning device that can be used by mechanics of different sizes to work on vehicles having a wide range of different sizes. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Mechanic&#39;s leaning devices are known which include an upper torso support at a first height and a knee support at a second height that is lower than the first height. The mechanic typically lean over the upper torso support while kneeling on the knee support in order to work inside the hood of a vehicle. In some leaning devices, the distance between the upper torso support and the knee support can be lengthened or shortened in order to provide comfortable working postures for mechanics of different sizes. 
     Conventional mechanic&#39;s leaning devices are typically useful for working on either relatively smaller vehicles, or relatively larger vehicles, but not both. For instance, mechanic&#39;s leaning device useful for working on sedans may not have the flexibility to enable work on large sport utility vehicles. With the increasing popularity of vehicle sizes ranging from very small to very large, there is a need or desire for a mechanic&#39;s leaning device that has sufficient adjustment flexibility to serve a wide variety of vehicle sizes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a mechanic&#39;s leaning device having a wide range of height adjustment. The leaning device includes a base having a length and a width, two side beams laterally adjacent to the base and having lengths exceeding the length of the base, an upright frame having an adjustable height, an upper torso support mounted to the upright frame and positioned at an adjustable first height above the base, a combination step and knee support mounted to the upright frame at an adjustable second height above the base which is less than and adjustable relative to the first height, and a mechanism on or mounted to the frame for receiving the combination step and knee support at the adjustable second height. The combination step and knee support may include a kneeler pad removably mounted to the step to enable use as a kneeler when the pad is mounted, or a step when the pad is removed. 
     By providing an adjustable frame height, an adjustable first height for the upper torso support, and an adjustable second height for the combination step and knee support which is less than and adjustable relative to the first height, the adjustment range is maximized. The mechanic&#39;s leaning device can be used for working on a wide range of vehicle sizes ranging from small compact cars to large sport utility vehicles, and can be comfortably used by mechanics of varying sizes. The mechanism for receiving the combination step and knee support at the adjustable second height above the platform enables the leaning device to be easily mounted for use with small, large, or intermediate sized vehicles. The combination step and knee support can be mounted as a knee support for small and mid-sized vehicles and as a step for large vehicles that require upper torso support high above the base. 
     The base suitably includes a platform that can be used for standing. The platform enables the leaning device to be used with or without the combination step and knee support for tasks which require only upper torso support. 
     With the foregoing in mind, it is a feature and advantage of the invention to provide a mechanic&#39;s leaning device having a wider range of flexibility than conventional leaning devices, which can be used for repair and/or maintenance of vehicles of widely varying sizes and by mechanics of widely varying sizes. 
     The foregoing and other features and advantages will be further apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, read in conjunction with the drawings. The detailed description and drawings are illustrative rather than limiting, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a mechanic&#39;s leaning device of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the mechanic&#39;s leaning device of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a mechanic&#39;s leaning device  10  of the invention includes a base  12  having a length  14  and a width  16 . The base  12  can be a platform as shown, and is surrounded on its edges by two side beams  18  and  20 , front beam  22 , and back beam  24 . The side beams  18  and  20  each have a length  15  exceeding the length  14  of the base  12 , suitably at least double the length  14  of the base  12 . The portions of side beams  18  and  20  that extend beyond the base  12  are positioned underneath a vehicle during use, and prevent the leaning device  10  from tipping forward when a user leans forward to work on a vehicle. The leaning device  10  can be positioned either along the front of a vehicle, with the side beams  18  and  20  extending underneath the radiator, or along the side of a vehicle, with the side beams  18  and  20  straddling one of the wheels of the vehicle. The front and back beams  22  and  24  suitably have lengths about equal to the width  16  of base  12 . 
     An upright frame  26  having an adjustable height is mounted to the base  12  and/or side beams  18  and  20 , in the vicinity of the four corners of the base  12 . The upright frame includes a fixed upright portion that may include two fixed upright beams  28  and  30  mounted to one or both of the base  12  and side beams  18  and  20 , and an adjustable upright portion that may include two adjustable upright beams  32  and  34  mounted to the fixed upright beams  28  and  30 , respectively, and adjustable relative to the fixed upright beams. 
     In one embodiment, the adjustable upright beams  32  and  34  are received in hollow openings  36  and  38  in the fixed upright beams  28  and  30 , and slidably engage the fixed upright beams  28  and  30 . The upright frame  26  may also include a plurality of stabilizing beams that stabilize the position of fixed upright beams  28  and  30 . The stabilizing beams may include a cross beam  40  extending between and secured to the fixed upright beams  28  and  30 , and side rails  42  and  44  extending between and attached to the fixed upright beams  28  and  30  and the respective side beams  18  and  20 . Each side rail  42  and  44  may include an upright portion  46  substantially parallel to the fixed upright beams  28  and  30 , and an arm portion  48  substantially parallel to the side beams  18  and  20 . 
     An upper torso support  50  is mounted to the upright frame  26 , suitably at a top end of the adjustable upright beams  32  and  34 , at an adjustable first height above the base  12 . The upper torso support  50  may include a platform  52  mounted to a top end of the upright frame  26  and a pad  54  mounted to the platform  52 . The first height of the upper torso support  50  can be adjustable by virtue of the fact that the upright beams  32  and  34  are adjustable relative to the fixed upright beams  28  and  30 . 
     A combination step and knee support  56  is mounted to the upright frame  26  at an adjustable second height above the base  12 . The adjustable second height is less than the adjustable first height and is independently adjustable relative to the adjustable first height. The combination step and knee support  56  may include a step  58  and a removable kneeler pad  60  mounted to the step  58  using bolts and wing nuts, or another suitable connection mechanism. The combination  56  can be mounted to the upright frame  26  using mounting brackets  62  that connect to or form part of, and extend from step  58 . The mounting brackets  62  may interlock the fixed upright beams  28  and  30  using pins that secure through mounting slots  64  positioned at selected different heights on the fixed upright beams  28  and  30 . Suitably, at least four, or at least seven, or at least ten of the mounting slots  64  are positioned at different heights on the fixed upright beams  28  and  30  to enable positioning the combination step and knee support  56  at several different second heights above the base  12 . 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the adjustable upright beams  32  and  34  also include a plurality of side mounting holes  66  which can align with a guide hole  67  on each of the fixed upright beams  28  and  30 . By aligning different ones of mounting holes  66  with guide hole  67 , the upper torso support  50  can be mounted at different first heights. A mounting pin  65  passes through each guide hole  67  and aligned mounting hole  66  to fix the position of upper torso support  50  at a selected height. Moreover, each fixed upright beam  28  and  30  includes a welded nut  103  mounted to a front opening (not shown). Each welded nut  103  receives a star bolt  104  which can be hand tightened to stabilize the upper torso support  50  at the selected first height. The upper torso support  50  can thus be raised or lowered without having to remove the combination step and knee support  56  from the upright frame  26 . 
     Due to the wide variety of adjustment heights for the upper torso support, and the combination step and knee support, the mechanic&#39;s leaning device of the invention is useful for working on a wide variety of vehicle sizes, and can be used by a wide variety of mechanics. Typically, the mechanic&#39;s leaning device is designed so that a user can stand on the platform  12  (without combination step and knee support  56 ) to work on any vehicle, or kneel on the kneeler  60  to work on cars and small sports utility vehicles, or stand on the step  58  to work on trucks and large sports utility vehicles. The construction of the leaning device is relatively inexpensive, yet highly versatile. 
     The embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are presently preferred. Various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims. All changes that fall within the meaning and range of equivalents are intended to be embraced therein.