Abstract:
An apparatus for supporting and assisting a user to get into and out of a kneeling position comprises a platform extending between first and second edges, each edge having two corners, a frame accommodating the platform therebetween and at least one biased arm extending between the platform and the frame, the biased arm being adapted to bias the platform from a first position located proximate to a ground surface to a second position vertically spaced above the first position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to support devices in general and in particular to a method and apparatus for supporting and assisting a user to get into and out of a kneeling position. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Kneeling is a position which is frequently difficult or uncomfortable for many people. Many people have difficulty with the act of getting into and staying in a kneeling position. In particular, many people find remaining in a kneeling position to be hard on the outer surface of their knees. This is particularly the case where the person is kneeling on rough or hard surfaces. 
         [0005]    A further difficulty many people experience is the act of lowering themselves into a kneeling position from a standing position. It will also be appreciated that the movement of returning to standing from a kneeling position is likewise similarly difficult for such people. Such movements may be difficult for people either due to reduced muscular strength or due to injury or weakness within their knees themselves. For other people, the movement into and out of a kneeling position places a painful level of strain on their back. 
         [0006]    Previous attempts have been made to provide knee supports for a user so as to reduce the difficulty required to get into and out of as well as remain in a kneeling position. Some attempts have been made to provide a padded surface on which the user may kneel. Such devices have located such surface at a fixed position which does not however aid the user in getting into and out of the kneeling position. Examples of such devices may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,756 issued Aug. 16, 1988 to Horan. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    According to a first embodiment of the present invention there is disclosed an apparatus for supporting and assisting a user to get into and out of a kneeling position comprising a platform extending between first and second edges, each edge having two corners, a frame accommodating the platform therebetween and at least one biased arm extending between the platform and the frame, the biased arm being adapted to bias the platform from a first position located proximate to a ground surface to a second position vertically spaced above the first position. 
         [0008]    The apparatus may further comprise an upright located proximate to each of the corners of the first and second edges of the platform wherein the uprights located proximate to two corners of a common edge of the platform are connected by a top connecting portion. 
         [0009]    The platform may be supported at the second position at an angle with a rear edge of the platform being lower than a corresponding front edge. The angle may be selected to be between 0 and 30 degrees. 
         [0010]    The frame may include stoppers for supporting the platform in the first position. The arm may be collapsible. The arm may comprise first and second arm portions with a pivot therebetween. The pivot may be biased to extend the arm. The pivot may include a spring. The spring may comprise a torsion spring. 
         [0011]    Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    In drawings which illustrate embodiments of the invention wherein similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts in each view, 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an apparatus for supporting a user in a kneeling position according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the apparatus when viewed from the direction shown by the block arrow in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a view of the apparatus as in  FIG. 1  when in use by the user and the platform is in the down-position.  FIG. 4  is an elevation view of the apparatus as in  FIG. 1  when in a folded configuration. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , an apparatus for supporting the knees of a user according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown generally at  10 . The apparatus comprises a platform  12  slidably supported within a frame  30  and having a top surface  14  to receive and support the knees of a user thereon. The platform  12  is moveable between lowered and raised positions and is biased by a biasing arms  100  to the raised position as will be more fully described below. 
         [0017]    The platform  12  extends between first and second side edges,  16  and  18 , respectively and front and rear edges  20  and  22 , respectively. The platform  12  may optionally include padded portions  24  on the top surface  14  thereof sized and positioned to receive the knees of a user thereon which may comprise a portion or the entire top surface of the platform. The platform  12  may be substantially rectangular as illustrated or any other suitable outline, such as, by way of non-limiting example, square, oval, circular, octagonal, hexagonal or irregular. The platform may be formed of any suitable material, such as, by way of non-limiting example wood, metal, plastic or composite materials and may have a thickness sufficient to support the weight of the user thereon. The platform  12  will further have a size selected to be able to receive a user thereon while permitting such a user to grasp the top portions of the frame for support. In practice, it has been found that a width of between 6 and 12 inches (152 and 305 mm) and a length of between 18 and 30 inches (457 and 762 mm) has been useful although it will be appreciated that other dimensions for the platform may be useful as well. The platform  12  may be angularly oriented, by an angle, generally indicated at  25  such that the front edge  20  is higher than the rear edge  22 . The angle  25  assists in providing a more comfortable position for the user and may be selected to be any angle between 0 and 30 degrees. 
         [0018]    The frame  30  comprises a pair of parallel space spaced apart inverted u-shaped members  32  each comprising front and rear uprights,  34  and  36 , respectively with a top connecting portion  38  between the top ends thereof. As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the front and rear uprights  34  and  36  and the top connecting portions  38  may be formed of substantially tubular members as are commonly known although non-hollow or solid members may also be utilized. As illustrated the front and rear uprights  34  and  36  and the top connecting portions  38  may be substantially tubular, although it will be appreciated that other cross-sectional shapes may be useful as well, such as, by way of non-limiting example, square, oval, rectangular, or irregular. The front and rear uprights  34  and  36  are substantially parallel to each other so as to support the platform therebetween at a plurality of locations therealong. Optionally, the frame may include bottom braces  44  extending between bottom portions of the front and rear uprights and a front brace  46  extending between the two u-shaped members  32  to provide additional stability to the apparatus. Furthermore, the frame  30  may optionally include selectably connectable extensions extending from the bottom end thereof so as to permit a user to adjust the height of the apparatus  10  as are commonly known in the art. The front and rear uprights  34  and  36  will be selected to have a height sufficient to position the top connecting portion  38  at a height that may be grasped by a user. In practice it has been found that a height of between 18 and 30 inches (457 and 762 mm) has been useful although it will be appreciated that other heights dimensions may be useful as well. The frame  30  may be formed of any suitable material, such as, by way of non-limiting example, metal, wood, plastic, or composite materials. 
         [0019]    The front brace  46  may extend between first and second collars  92  and  94 , respectively surrounding a portion of the front uprights  34 . The first and second collars  92  and  94  may be rotatable around the front uprights so as to permit the u-shaped members  32  to be rotated relative thereto in a direction generally indicated at  96 . It will be appreciated that such rotation will permit the apparatus  10  to be folded substantially flat for ease of storage and transportation as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . It will be appreciated that the frame  30  may be useful for hanging other objects, such as, by way of non-limiting example, tool trays or holders as are commonly known in the art. 
         [0020]    The collapsible arms  100  extend between the front brace  46  and the platform  12 . Each arm  100  comprises a first and a second arm portion,  102  and  104 , respective with a center hinge  106  therebetween. The center hinge  106  will include a biasing element, such as, by way of non-limiting example, a torsion spring therein adapted to bias the first and second arms  102  and  104  to the extended or second position illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The second arm portions  104  are rotatably attached to the platform  12  by first end hinges  108 . The first arm portions  102  are rotatably attached to the front brace  46  by second end hinges  110 . Optionally, the first and second end hinges  108  and  110  may also include torsion springs or other rotational biasing or resistive devices therein. When the user  8  presses down the platform  12  by the knees  6 , the platform  12  is slowly brought down to the down or first position as illustrated in  FIG. 3  while biasing the torsion springs within the hinge connection  106 . In this position, the arms  100  collapse with the aids of the hinge connection and first and second end hinges  108  and  110 . When the user  8  attempts to stand up, the platform  12  is urged to slowly return to the up or second position under the bias of the torsion springs within the center hinge  106  and/or first and second end hinges  108  and  110 . 
         [0021]    Although two arms  100  are shown herein, according to other embodiments a single arm or more than two arms may be used as well. The arms shown in this embodiment has a single fold at a center thereof. Multiple folds may be useful as well, such as with an arm arranged in a zigzag shape. The center hinge  106  and first and second end hinges  108  and  110  may also be adapted to have range of a range of motion limited to position the platform  12  at providing the desirable angle  25  when in the up-position as shown in  FIG. 2 , for the convenience of the user  8  as set out above. 
         [0022]    The arms  100  may be formed of any suitable material, such as, by way of non-limiting example, metal, plastic or composite materials. The arms have sufficient resilience to permit the platform  12  to be brought down to the down-position from the up-position under the weight of the knees  6  of the user  8  and to permit the platform  12  to be brought back to the up-position when the user  8  tends to stand up. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , stoppers  112  may be provided on the bottom of the first arm portions  102  for resting the platform  12  in the down-position. 
         [0023]    In operation, a user approaches the apparatus from the rear and places their knees  6  upon the pads  24 . The user then permits their weight to press the platform downward to the position illustrated in  FIG. 3  which may be utilized for working in any location for which kneeling is required. When the user is completed with their kneeling task, they may slowly stand up such that the arms  100  urge the platform to the topmost position shown in  FIG. 2  and thereby assisting the user in standing. Optionally, the user may grasp the top connecting portions  38  of the u-shaped members to provide them with additional stability during such movements 
         [0024]    The arms  100  may be selected to provide a suitable bias based upon the intended user  8  and the amount of assistance required by such person to return to the standing position. In practice, it has been found that arms  100  providing between 10 and 200 pounds of lift to the platform  12  will be sufficient although other biasing forces will be useful as well. 
         [0025]    The pair of the inverted u-shaped members  32  are connected by at least one front brace  46  preferably towards the bottom for better stability. Additional front braces  46  may be used as well. Optionally, the frame  30  may include more bottom braces  44  extending between the bottom portions of the front and the rear uprights  34  and  36  to provide additional stability to the apparatus  10 . 
         [0026]    According to a further embodiment of the apparatus  10 , the first end hinges  108  and center hinges  106  may be releasably locked in the first or down position as illustrated in  FIG. 3  and then rotated relative to the front brace  46  so as to orient the platform  12  in a substantially vertical position. Thereafter, the u-shaped members  32  may then be turned by about  90  degrees with respect to the front brace  46  and folded behind the folded assembly of the platform  12  and the resilient member  21 , such that the resilient member  21  is accommodated between the platform  12  and the two u-shaped members  32 . It will be appreciated that folding the apparatus  10  will permit ease of storage and transportation. The releasably locking mechanism may be any mechanism available in the art, such as a latching system, pins or the like. 
         [0027]    For the above embodiments as described with the apparatus  10 , the frame  30  may be provided with features to adjust the height of the platform  12 , to suit the height of the user  8 . The frame  30  may optionally include features (not shown) to permit the user  8  to adjust the height of the apparatus  10  as are commonly known in the art, such as with the use of telescopic members in the front and rear uprights  34  and  36 . It will also be appreciated that the frame  30  may also be useful for hanging other objects, such as, by way of non-limiting example, tool trays or holders as are commonly known in the art. 
         [0028]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.