Abstract:
A portable utility stand that integrates the equipment required by users such as musicians, artists, and surveyors. These users generally require a lighted work platform, a tool or instrument support, a comfortable adjustable seat, a storage area for equipment such as tools, an adjustable footrest, shelf to temporarily place equipment, a means to support equipment such as, microphones, tuning devices or a telephone. The equipment is mounted to a base platform equipped with mounting receptacles that allow the user to arrange, adjust, and select suitable equipment for a particular application and in a preferred arrangement. The base platform is essentially a single member with receptacles for equipment mounting. A seating bench with storage unit is centrally located with respect to the mounting receptacles. Floor glides are mounted on bottom extreme ends. Disassembly simply requires removing the receptacle mounted equipment.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to a utility stand. More particularly to a utility stand for users requiring a portable work/utility stand. The utility stand incorporates the basic equipment a musician, surveyor, artist, or any user that requires a complete platform for work, practice or performing into a single structure that is easily disassembled or collapsed for storage and transport between uses. 
   Prior art includes examples of a Portable Workstation, U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,355, a Portable Music Stand, U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,161. Other Portable equipment used by musicians, surveyors, and artists among others include portable footrests, portable instrument support stands, and portable reference tables and portable microphone stands. 
   While having some utility these separate components have several major drawbacks. First, as individual pieces of equipment they lack stability and are easily knocked over because of their small support bases. Because they are separate pieces they are cumbersome to transport and setup. Also, the separate pieces of equipment require a larger total floor area than a single integrated utility stand. This is because the separate pieces of equipment require an extended base around each piece of equipment to achieve stability. Moreover, these separate pieces of equipment duplicate functions of the individual pieces and therefore more parts are fabricated than necessary. 
   Another problem with portable work stations and music stands is the lack of convenient storage for tools, reference material, sheet music, and accessories, e.g. tools, paint brushes, pencils, guitar strings, markers, tuning devices to name a few which a user may require for work, study, or practice. 
   Another problem is the lack of comfortable seating that can be adjusted to the user needs and workstation level. 
   Accordingly, it is an object or the present invention to provide a portable utility stand that combines the separate components into a single utility stand configured for specific or multiple applications. This invention is focused toward the musician, but can be tailored for aforementioned users. 
   Another object is to minimize the number of components and complexity by combining functions of support, seating, and storage. 
   Yet another object is to provide an improved process for collapsing and setting up the portable utility stand for transport or storage requiring fewer set up steps. Yet another object of this invention is to configure mating parts such that the assembly cannot be setup in a manner that makes it unsafe for use. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide a compact portable stand that is more resistant to tipping over when jostled or bumped than the individual pieces of equipment it replaces 
   Yet another object of this invention is to provide convenient storage for the users reference material and accessories. 
   Yet another object of this invention is to minimize the required floor area. 
   Yet another object of this invention to provide for additional auxiliary equipment to be attached such as a microphone, instrument tuning device, artists easel, or an umbrella to name but a few. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   To achieve these and other objects, there is provided a portable utility stand with a substantially horizontal base frame supporting universal mounting receptacles that accept a broad range of components thereby enabling the base frame to integrate components such as: 1. a seating/storage unit, 2. a sheet music support or work platform, 3. a microphone/ancillary equipment support, 3. a foot rest, 4. an instrument or tool rest and a reference table to name but a few into a single unit. This single unit requires less floor area than the total floor area required by the same separate components; but has a larger stabilizing floor footprint than each separate component. This larger footprint provides more resistance to being tipped over than the separate units provide and achieves this with fewer parts. 
   The base with universal mounting receptacles allows right hand or left-hand users to set up the components, as they prefer. In addition, a user could use the same utility stand for multiple uses by using for example the artist&#39;s easel in place of the sheet music support platform. 
   At one end of the base frame a vertically adjustable member supports a padded seating bench with backrest. The bench provides both seating and storage. The storage unit is substantially below the seat with shelves and drawers that allow easy access without getting up from the seating bench. 
   At the other end of the base frame is a rotatable and telescoping post supporting a rotatable platform. The platform thus mounted is adjustable by the user to provide a comfortable viewing distance and angle. 
   Also attached to the base frame and in close proximity to the seat is an adjustable foot support that can be raised or lowered vertically, shifted left or right horizontally, tilted up or down, and support either foot or both feet simultaneously. 
   Also attached to the base frame is an instrument support. The instrument support is rotatable about the vertical support axis and the user may install it any of the universal mounts on the left, right or behind. 
   Also, attached to the frame is a rotatable horizontal/table platform close to hand for easy access and storage of the user&#39;s accessories. As with all the components configured for this utility stand they can be mounted in any receptacle 
   In a preferred embodiment the utility stand is comprised of a tubular structure which is collapsible to a configuration suitable for transport or storage. 
   In conjunction with the portable stand, another aspect of the present invention is a process for stowing the stand, including:
         a. a means for disconnecting/collapsing the seating bench storage unit.   b. a means for rotating the sheet music platform support to be substantially parallel with the base.   c. a means for disconnecting/collapsing the instrument support.   d. a means for removing/collapsing the accessory shelf.   e. a means for disconnecting/collapsing the auxiliary equipment supports.       

   Thus in accordance with the present invention, a stable portable utility stand that supports user requirements for comfortable seating, displaying sheet music or other work in progress, storing accessories and reference material, supporting auxiliary equipment such as a microphone and providing a reference table is easily collapsed and setup. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a further appreciation of the above and other features and advantages, reference is made to the following detailed description of this invention and to the drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1A  is a left-side frontal prospective view of a portable utility stand constructed in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. A mounted musical instrument is shown for clarity; 
       FIG. 1B  is a right-side frontal prospective view of the utility stand. A mounted musical instrument is also shown for clarity; 
       FIG. 1C  is a frontal view showing the seating bench/storage assembly height adjustment means; 
       FIG. 2  is a right-side rear prospective view of the utility stand with a rotatable extension arm for the instrument support; 
       FIG. 3A  is a collapsed left-side frontal prospective view of the utility stand; 
       FIG. 3B  is a collapsed right-side frontal prospective view of the utility stand; 
       FIG. 4  is a left-side frontal prospective view of the base frame subassembly; 
       FIG. 5A  is a right-side frontal prospective view of the seating bench/storage subassembly; 
       FIG. 5B  is an exploded right-side frontal prospective view of the seating bench subassembly; 
       FIG. 5C  is a right-side, rear bottom prospective view of the seating bench subassembly; 
     FIG.  6 A and is a left-side prospective view of the foot rest subassembly; 
       FIG. 6B  is a partial frontal view of the footrest mounting; 
       FIG. 7A  is a right-side prospective view of the instrument support subassembly; 
       FIG. 7B  is an exploded right-side prospective view of the instrument support subassembly; 
       FIG. 8  is right-side rear view of the sheet music support post subassembly with extension arm 
       FIG. 9  is an upper prospective view of the accessory shelf subassembly; 
       FIG. 10  is prospective view of the auxiliary equipment support subassembly with an exemplary microphone; 
       FIG. 11A  is a left-side rear prospective view of the utility stand adapted for an artist; 
       FIG. 11B  is a right-side rear prospective view of the portable utility stand adapted for an artist; 
       FIG. 12A  is a left-side frontal prospective view of a compact version of the portable utility stand; 
       FIG. 12B  is a right-side frontal prospective view of the compact version of the portable utility stand; 
       FIG. 12C  is right-side rear prospective view of the compact version of the portable utility stand; 
       FIG. 13  is a left-side frontal prospective view of the frame configuration for the compact version of the portable utility stand frame; 
       FIG. 14A  is left-side frontal prospective view of the compact version of the portable utility stand collapsed inside a standard guitar case; 
       FIG. 14B  is left-side frontal prospective view of the compact version of the portable utility stand collapsed with the guitar case removed for clarity; 
       FIG. 14C  is right-side frontal prospective view of the compact version of the portable utility stand collapsed with the guitar case removed for clarity; 
       FIG. 15A  is a side elevation view of a horizontal version of footrest  99  showing the height adjustment means for the compact portable utility stand. 
       FIG. 15B  is a side elevation view of a tilted version of footrest  99  showing the height adjustment means for the compact portable utility stand 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The utility stand top assembly  16  is shown in FIG.  1 A and FIG.  1 B. The eight subassemblies that comprise the utility stand  16  include:
         1. A base frame subassembly  17 , see  FIG. 4     2. A seating bench/storage subassembly  18 , see  FIG. 5A ,  FIG. 5B , and  FIG. 5C     3. A sheet music support subassembly  19 , see  FIG. 8     4. A rotatable instrument support subassembly  20 , see  FIGS. 7A and 7B     5. An auxiliary equipment support subassembly  21 , see  FIG. 10     6. A foot rest subassembly  10 , see  FIGS. 6A and 6B     7. An auxiliary shelf subassembly  23 , see  FIG. 9     8. An extension arm subassembly  43 , see  FIGS. 2 ,  7 A and  7 B       

     FIGS. 1A and 1B  show the utility stand top assembly  16 . The adjustable seating bench/storage subassembly  18  is shown with the drawer  24  open. The sheet music support subassembly  19  is shown with the platform  25  facing the seating bench/storage unit  18  where the user would be seated. The rotatable instrument support subassembly  20  is shown supporting an instrument  22  (a guitar in this case) on the rotatable instrument support stalk  26 . The footrest subassembly  10  is shown with the foot platform  27  in the level position. The auxiliary equipment support subassembly  21  is shown supporting a microphone  89  in this particular case. Two auxiliary shelf subassemblies  23  are shown along side the storage unit seating bench/storage assembly  18 . The equipment is mounted on frame subassembly  17 , seating bench/storage subassembly  18  is shown installed in seat receptacle  35 . The rotatable instrument support subassembly  20  is shown installed in receptacle  31 . The auxiliary shelf subassembly  23  is shown installed receptacle  34  in FIG.  1 A. The auxiliary shelf subassembly  23  is shown installed in receptacle  33  in FIG.  1 B. The auxiliary equipment support subassembly  21  is shown installed in receptacle  32 . The footrest subassembly  10  is shown mounted to the frame subassembly  17  on support receptacles  88  and support receptacle  36 . Support receptacle  88  supports foot support bracket  57  on pin  58 . Support receptacle  36  supports foot support bracket  56  on pin  59 . Height and tilt adjustment of footrest subassembly  10  is achieved by adjusting pins  58  and  59 . 
     FIGS. 1A and 1B  also show the upper seat cushion  41  and the lower seat cushion  42 . Storage shelf  44  shown in  FIG. 1B  is a part of the seating bench storage subassembly  18  shown in  FIGS. 5A ,  5 B, and  5 C. The drawer  24  (shown open) and the shelf  44  are reversible. The sheet music subassembly  19  is tilted forward. The auxiliary equipment support  21  is shown with a microphone adjusted forward on the gooseneck  68 . 
     FIG. 1C  shows an exemplary method of adjusting the seat bench/storage subassembly  18  height. Support bracket  48  is supported by pin  45  in hole  53 . The seating bench/storage subassembly  18  is supported by pin  45 . Moving pin  45  to hole  52  raises the seating bench/storage subassembly  18 . Clamping means  16  two places are tightened to eliminate clearance between receptacle  35  seat support  48 . 
     FIG. 2  shows the rotating extensions arm  43  installed over receptacle  31 . The extension arm  43  supports the rotatable instrument subassembly  20 . The extension arm  43  rotates about receptacle  31  in this case This allows the instrument  22  to be positioned closer to the user. In addition the instrument  22 , can be rotated out of the way on  43  to a protected position between the seating bench/storage subassembly  18  and the sheet music support subassembly  19   
     FIG. 3A  shows a left-hand frontal prospective view of the utility stand collapsed for transport or storage. The sheet music support assembly  19  rotates to a substantially horizontal position. The remaining component parts lift out of their respective receptacles  31 ,  32 ,  33 ,  34 , and  35 . They are then packed substantially horizontal in a transport case. The Transport case is not shown for clarity. 
     FIG. 3B  shows a right-hand frontal prospective view of the utility stand collapsed for transport or storage. The Transport case is not shown for clarity. 
     FIG. 4  shows the base frame subassembly  17  is comprised of a center member  28 , a front member  29  and a rear member  30  substantially attached to the center member  28 . At each end of the front member  29  are receptacles  31  and  32 . At each end of the rear member  30  are receptacles  33  and  34 . Seat receptacle  35 , footrest support  36 , and lower footrest support  88  are attached to center member  28 . Footrest support  36  has pinholes  91 ,  92 , and  93  used to adjust the footrest support subassembly  10  height. Footrest support  88  has pinholes  94 ,  95 , and  96  to adjust the height or tilt of footrest subassembly  10 . Floor glides  37  and  38  are adjustably fastened to the lower side of front member  29 . Floor glides  39  and  40  are adjustably fastened to the lower side of rear member  30 . Pinhole  52  and pinhole  53  are shown in seat receptacle  35 . The use of these pinholes to adjust the height of the seating bench/storage subassembly  18  is shown in FIG.  1 C. 
     FIG. 5A ,  FIG. 5B , and  FIG. 5C  show the seating bench/storage assembly  18 . The seat back rest  46  is slightly curved to conform to the users back and fastened to back support  47 . The back support  47  is inserted into the backrest support bracket  49  and secured with a clamping means  50 . The backrest support bracket  49  is secured to the bench/drawer structure  51 . The support bracket  48  is also secured to the bench/drawer tubular structure  51 . The support bracket  48  is inserted into the seat receptacle  35  attached to the base frame assembly  17  shown in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 5B  an exploded view provides a better understanding of the basic components of the seating bench/storage unit  18 . The drawer  24  slides on commonly used drawer slides  52 . 
     FIG. 5C  shows a bottom right rear view of the bench/storage assembly  18 . Finger griping recess  53  allows the drawer to be pulled open and facilitates reference material removal from storage  44 . 
     FIG. 6A  shows the footrest subassembly  10  is comprised of the footrest platform  27 , forward support bracket  56 , and rear support bracket  57 . The forward support bracket  56  is engaged in a slot  89 . The rear support bracket  57  supports footrest platform  27  on flat  90 . FIG.  1 A and  FIG. 1B  show the support means: support bracket  56  is supported by pin  59  engaged in  36  and support bracket  57  is supported by pin  58  engaged in  88 . 
     FIG. 6B  shows the support and adjustment means the footrest subassembly  10 . Pin  59  is shown installed in pinhole  91 . Footrest subassembly  10  height and tilt adjustment is achieved by moving pin  59  shown in hole  91  to holes  92  or  93  in cooperation with pin  58  and holes  94 ,  95 , or  96 . 
     FIG. 7A  shows the rotatable support unit  20  installed in extension arm  43 . 
     FIG. 7B  shows an exploded view of the rotatable support assembly  20  with extension arm  43 . The rotatable instrument support stalk  26  is substantially fastened to tilted post  60 . The upper fork rest  61  cradles the instrument fingerboard. The upper fork rest  61  is substantially fastened to the tilted post  60 . The upper fork rest  61  is preferably round stock, covered with a soft material covering  64 . The soft material covering  64  preferably conforms to the fork rest  61  and is split to allow assembly over the upper fork rest  61 . The instrument is vertical support fork  62  is preferably round stock and configured to support the instrument vertically and horizontally with three legs of the upper vertical support fork  62 . The three legs are covered with a soft material covers  65 ,  66 , and  67 . The fourth leg of the vertical support fork  62  attaches to the tilted post  69 . The extension arm unit  43  is composed of a horizontal beam  68 , with receptacle  60  and receptacle  71 . Stiffening member  72  substantially joined to the horizontal beam  69 , and receptacles  69 , and  71 . The instrument support stalk  26  is inserted inside receptacle  69 . The extension arm  43  is shown installed on the base frame unit  17  over receptacle  31  however, it could be installed over receptacles  32 ,  33 , or  34  depending on user preference. 
     FIG. 8  shows the sheet music support  19 . The sheet music support subassembly  19  consists of a lower column section  73  and a telescoping section  74 . Mounted on top of the telescoping section  74  is a bracket  75  that pivotably supports the sheet music support  76 . As indicated in  FIG. 1  the sheet music support subassembly  19  is rotationally coupled to footrest support  36  through bracket  77  and secure with clamping means  45 . The telescoping section  74  is held in position with clamping means  82 . The sheet music support  25  is formed with a protruding ledge  76  to support reference material and illuminated with lamps  83  and  84 . 
     FIG. 9  shows the auxiliary shelf unit  23 . The auxiliary shelf  23  is composed of a preferably round support member  54 , and shelf  55 . The support member  54  is rotationally coupled to the shelf  55 . 
     FIG. 10  shows the auxiliary equipment support unit  21  that is composed of three components: a lower support member  63 , a flexible gooseneck  68 , and receptacle  70 . A microphone  89  is shown installed in receptacle  70 . However the receptacle  70  is removably mounted to the gooseneck  68 . A receptacle suitable for mounting an instrument tuning device, telephone, or other device could be installed on the gooseneck  68 . The auxiliary equipment support subassembly  21  is shown rotationally mounted to the base frame subassembly  17  on receptacle  32  in  FIG. 1A and 1B  but could be installed on any receptacle as discussed earlier. 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B  shows the portable utility stand adapted for an artist or surveyor. The easel  86  is shown supporting art  87 . The easel  86  replaces platform  25  on the music sheet support subassembly  19 . The frame subassembly  17  is unaltered. An auxiliary shelf subassembly  23  is installed in receptacle  33  and receptacle  34 . Umbrella  85  is shown installed in receptacle  32 . 
     FIGS. 12A ,  12 B, and  12 C show a compact version of the portable utility stand. This version, with integrated components easily fits into a guitar case as shown in FIG.  14 A. In this version the portable utility stand is supported on three floor guides  96 ,  97  and  98 . Stand stability is achieved by supporting the footrest  99  on forward brace  100  and rear brace  101 . Forward brace  100  and rear brace  101  are slidably fitted to guides  102  and  103  in the frame assembly  105 . Guide  102  and floor guide  106  support forward brace  100 . Guide  103  and floor guide  107  support brace  101 . Slidably mounted braces  100  and  101  take the load directly to the floor and prevent utility stand from tipping over should the user stand on the footrest  99 . The instrument support subassembly  20  is supported on stalk support brace  108  slidably fitted to guide  109  and supported by floor guide  110 . Seat cushion  111  mounted to seat bracket  112  (see  FIG. 13 ) is supported by seat post  113  mounted frame assembly  105  in seat receptacle  114 . 
     FIG. 13  shows an exploded view of the seat cushion  111 , the seat bracket  112  and the seat post  113  is shown installed in the seat receptacle  114 . The rear seat legs  115  are rigidly attached to the seat receptacle  114 . Floor guides  90  and  91  are installed in seat legs  115 . Beam member  116  is rigidly attached to seat receptacle  114 . Guides  103 ,  102 , and  109  provide receptacles for the rear brace  101 , forward brace  100  and stalk support brace  108 . Post  117  provides for pivotably mounting the instrument support subassembly  20 . 
     FIG. 14A  shows the condensed version of the portable utility stand collapsed into guitar case  118 . 
     FIG. 14B  shows the condensed version of the portable utility stand with guitar case  118  removed for clarity. The instrument support subassembly  20  is rotated horizontally with the sheet music support  25  notch straddling the seat receptacle  114 . Channel shaped footrest  99  straddles the instrument support subassembly  20 . 
     FIG. 15A  shows the footrest  99  for the condensed version of the portable utility stand. Footrest height adjustment is achieved by simply moving footrest  99  forward or backward to a different set of notches that rest on the forward brace  100  and the rear brace  101 . A 1 , A 2 , and A 3  show the height progression for each position. 
     FIG. 15  shows the footrest  99  with a tilt for the condensed version of the portable utility stand. Footrest height adjustment is achieved by simply moving footrest  99  forward or backward to a different set of notches that rest on the forward brace  100  and the rear brace  101 , B 1 , B 2 , and B 3  show the height progression for each position. 
   All of the embodiments disclosed here provide a portable utility stands easily set up for supporting music or other uses, and easily collapsed into a compact configuration for convenient storage or transport. When set up the user has a stable platform to work, practice, or perform. The user has the option of arranging the equipment, as he requires using the universal mounting receptacles. The user tools, and accessories are within easy reach. Expensive instruments or equipment can be rotated to a protected out of the way position between the sheet music support and the seating bench/storage area. 
   Having described exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and the various changes and modifications can be effected therein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.