Patent
Folding base
| العنوان: | Folding base |
|---|---|
| Patent Number: | 10584,824 |
| تاريخ النشر: | March 10, 2020 |
| Appl. No: | 15/912464 |
| Application Filed: | March 05, 2018 |
| مستخلص: | A folding base has a hinge body, and a stand emanates vertically from adjacent a center of the hinge body. A plurality of legs radiate from the hinge body and provide ground contact. Between and pivotally coupling each leg to the hinge body is one of a plurality of torque hinges, so that individual ones of the legs are rotationally coupled to the hinge body through a torque generating member. Preferably the torque required to pivot a leg with respect to the hinge body is greater than that generated solely by lifting a leg from the ground or supporting surface. The torque hinge may also be knurled to permit a secure and permanent press fit to the associated leg and the hinge body. |
| Inventors: | Roberts, Jeffrey A. (Apple Valley, MN, US); Roberts, David M. (Saint Paul, MN, US) |
| Claim: | 1. A folding base, comprising: a hinge body having at least one U-shaped leg receiver; a vertically extensive stand emanating vertically from adjacent a center of said hinge body; a plurality of weighted legs radiating from said hinge body; at least one of said plurality of weighted legs having a surface contact point, said surface contact point located distally to said hinge body; and at least one torque hinge having a housing rigidly affixed to said at least one of said plurality of weighted legs and having a shaft pivotally passing through said housing and extending at each distal longitudinal end beyond said torque hinge housing and rigidly affixed at each distal longitudinal end to said at least one U-shaped leg receiver, said at least one torque hinge pivotally coupling said at least one of said plurality of weighted legs to said hinge body U-shaped receiver, said at least one torque hinge configured such that a torque required to pivot said at least one of said plurality of weighted legs relative to said hinge body is greater than a torque generated by a weight of said at least one of said plurality of weighted legs, whereby said at least one of said plurality of weighted legs remains locked in an extended position when said surface contact point is separated from a surface on which said folding base rests. |
| Claim: | 2. The folding base of claim 1 , wherein said surface contact point further comprises an elastomeric foot. |
| Claim: | 3. The folding base of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of weighted legs radiate from a circumference of said hinge body at substantially equal angular increments. |
| Claim: | 4. The folding base of claim 1 , wherein said at least one U-shaped leg receiver further restricts a range of upward pivot of said at least one of said plurality of weighted legs relative to said hinge body. |
| Claim: | 5. The folding base of claim 4 , wherein said at least one U-shaped leg receiver further comprises an opening in a downward direction and is otherwise closed. |
| Claim: | 6. The folding base of claim 1 , wherein said at least one torque hinge housing further comprises a knurled housing and said at least one of said plurality of weighted legs further comprises a bore, said torque hinge knurled housing rigidly coupled to said bore. |
| Claim: | 7. The folding base of claim 6 , wherein said at least one torque hinge shaft further comprises a knurled torque hinge shaft extending from said torque hinge housing and rigidly coupled to said hinge body. |
| Claim: | 8. The folding base of claim 6 , wherein said at least one of said plurality of weighted legs further comprises a solid metal leg. |
| Claim: | 9. A folding base, comprising: a hinge body having a plurality of U-shaped receivers; a plurality of legs radiating from said hinge body; a plurality of torque hinges, each individual one of said plurality of torque hinges having a shaft member and a housing member rotationally coupled to said shaft member, each individual one of said plurality of torque hinges coupled at each distal end of said shaft member to said hinge body and coupled at said housing member to an individual one of said plurality of legs; each one of said plurality of torque hinges thereby adapted to pivotally couple a one of said plurality of legs to a one of said hinge body U-shaped receivers, such that a torque required to pivot said one of said plurality of legs relative to said hinge body is greater than a torque generated by a weight of said one of said plurality of legs, whereby said one of said plurality of legs remains locked in an extended position when said leg is suspended above a surface solely by a one of said plurality of torque hinges. |
| Claim: | 10. The folding base of claim 9 , wherein said plurality of legs radiate from a circumference of said hinge body at substantially equal angular increments. |
| Claim: | 11. The folding base of claim 9 , further comprising a vertically extensive stand emanating vertically in a generally upward direction from said hinge body; and wherein said hinge body further comprises a plurality of U-shaped leg receivers that are open in a generally downward direction, and are otherwise closed. |
| Claim: | 12. The folding base of claim 9 , wherein said one of said plurality of legs is weighted. |
| Claim: | 13. The folding base of claim 12 , wherein said one of said plurality of weighted legs further comprises a solid metal leg. |
| Claim: | 14. A folding microphone boom stand configured to fold into a first collapsed position and unfold from said first collapsed position to a second operative supporting position, said folding microphone boom stand comprising: a hinge body having a plurality of U-shaped leg receivers; a plurality of weighted legs radiating from said hinge body, each individual one of said plurality of weighted legs distal to said hinge body defining a surface contact point; a plurality of torque hinges, each one of said plurality of torque hinges having a housing rigidly affixed to a one of said plurality of weighted legs and having a shaft passing through and rotationally coupled with said housing, said shaft extending at each distal longitudinal end beyond said torque hinge housing and rigidly affixed at each distal longitudinal end to a one of said plurality of U-shaped leg receivers and pivotally coupling said one of said plurality of weighted legs to said one of said plurality of U-shaped leg receivers and configured such that a torque required to pivot said shaft relative to said housing is greater than a torque generated by a weight of said one of said plurality of weighted legs, whereby said one of said plurality of weighted legs remains locked in an extended position when said surface contact point is separated from a surface on which said folding microphone boom stand rests; and a vertically extensive stand emanating vertically from adjacent a center of said hinge body and configured to support a microphone boom and microphone therefrom. |
| Claim: | 15. The folding microphone boom stand of claim 14 , wherein said one of said plurality of U-shaped leg receivers further restricts a range of upward pivot of said one of said plurality of weighted legs relative to said hinge body. |
| Claim: | 16. The folding microphone boom stand of claim 14 , wherein said plurality of weighted legs further comprises a plurality of solid metal legs. |
| Patent References Cited: | 2613901 October 1952 Tatar 6007032 December 1999 Kuo 6084549 July 2000 Pensjo 8122629 February 2012 Cowgill 2014/0059805 March 2014 Krahn |
| Primary Examiner: | Davis, Cassandra |
| Attorney, Agent or Firm: | Watkins, Albert W. |
| رقم الانضمام: | edspgr.10584824 |
| قاعدة البيانات: | USPTO Patent Grants |
| الوصف غير متاح. |