Actuating footrest

Abstract

An actuating footrest includes a footboard configured to receive a plurality of forces applied by the user's feet and a flexible frame configured to resist and return at least one of the applied forces. The flexible frame is attached to the footboard and includes a pair of lever arms connected to each other via a central crossbar, a stationary base configured to keep the footrest stationary while operated by a user with each lever arm transitioning to the stationary base at an angle, and bumpers to protect the footboard from damage during pivoting. The stationary base has a pair of base arms that are connected to each other via another central crossbar running parallel and having a substantially similar length to the lever arm crossbar, the stationary base further includes a plurality of floor grips configured to maintain the stationary position of the footrest.

1 . An actuating footrest that is operable by a seated user, the footrest comprising:
 (a.) a footboard configured to receive a plurality of forces applied by the user's feet, the footboard having a length, width, and thickness, the footboard further having a top and bottom surface, the user's feet positioned at the top surface;   (b.) a flexible frame configured to resist and return at least one of the applied forces, the flexible frame attached to the footboard via a connecting plate, the flexible frame comprising:
 (i.) a pair of lower hinge mechanisms, each hinge mechanism comprising a joint with a pin about which one or more springs are coiled; 
 (ii.) an upper hinge mechanism having a rod spanning a substantial portion of the length of the footboard, the connecting plate having a pair of hooks that hook the rod; 
 (iii.) a pair of lever arms extending away from the connecting plate at a shared distance, the lever arms being connected to each other via a central crossbar spanning a substantial portion of the length of the footboard and running parallel with the rod while running orthogonally to the lever arms, each lever arm terminating in one of said lower hinge mechanisms, each lever arm having an angled elbow positioned closer to the upper hinge mechanism than the lower hinge mechanism, each lever arm comprising a terminal hook that hooks the pin of the lower hinge mechanism, the lever arm crossbar comprising a pair of hooks that hook the rod of the upper hinge mechanism, the lever arm crossbar further comprising a protruding plate that angularly projects away from the footboard and toward the lower hinge mechanisms, each lever arm further comprising a spring cover configured to retain a portion of the coiled spring; 
 (iv.) a stationary base configured to keep the footrest stationary while operated by the user, each lever arm transitioning to the stationary base at an angle formed by the lower hinge mechanism, the stationary base comprising a pair of base arms that are connected to each other via another central crossbar running parallel and having a substantially similar length to the lever arm crossbar, each base arm terminating in one of said lower hinge mechanisms, each base arm comprising a pair of terminal hooks that hook the pin of the lower hinge mechanism, each base hook pair flanking a lever arm's pin hook, each base arm further comprising a spring cover configured to retain a portion of the coiled spring; and, 
 wherein the footboard is configured to pivot at the upper hinge mechanism in response to one or more of the applied forces, wherein the resistance and return of one of the applied forces causes the flexible frame to flex and extend, respectively, at the lower hinge mechanisms, wherein the resistance and return of said flexion force causes an altered distance between the footboard and the stationary base, along with an altered size of the lower hinge mechanisms' angles, the altered angle sizes remaining constantly equal to each other during flexion and extension, and wherein the protruding plate and angled elbows are configured to be stopping points for the footboard as it pivots within a full range of rotation, such that the protruding plate and angled elbows oppose each other and each alternatingly make contact with the bottom surface of the footboard as it pivots back and forth within the full range of rotation, the contact made with the angled elbows being simultaneous with both elbows. 
   
     
     
         2 . The actuating footrest of  claim 1 , wherein the stationary base further comprises a plurality of floor grips configured to maintain the stationary position of the footrest, wherein the protruding plate and angled elbows comprise a plurality of bumpers configured to protect the footboard from damage during pivoting, the protruding plate's bumpers contacting a rear half of the footboard, the angled elbows' bumpers making contact with a front half of the footboard. 
     
     
         3 . The actuating footrest of  claim 2 , wherein the angles of the lever arms' elbows directionally oppose the angles of the lower hinge mechanisms. 
     
     
         4 . The actuating footrest of  claim 3 , wherein the base arms run parallel to each other and have equal lengths, the base arms curving toward each other to form the stationary base's central crossbar at a distance away from the lower hinge mechanisms, said distance substantially defining the lengths of the base arms, these base arm lengths being substantially similar to the width of the footboard. 
     
     
         5 . The actuating footrest of  claim 4 , wherein each lower hinge mechanism comprises a pair of the coiled springs, the coiled portion of each spring being retained within a base arm's pin hook. 
     
     
         6 . The actuating footrest of  claim 5 , wherein the rod of the upper hinge mechanism is substantially embedded within the footboard. 
     
     
         7 . The actuating footrest of  claim 6 , wherein the connecting plate's two rod hooks are disposed at a distance apart from each other that is larger than the distance maintained between the two rod hooks of the lever arm crossbar, each of the connecting plate's rod hooks positioned proximate to a terminal end of the rod, and wherein the protruding plate of the lever arm crossbar has a length and width, its width running parallel to said shared extension distance of the lever arms following bends in the angled elbows. 
     
     
         8 . The actuating footrest of  claim 7 , wherein each lever arm, base arm, and spring cover has a width, this width being the same among them and running orthogonally to that of the footboard. 
     
     
         9 . The actuating footrest of  claim 8 , wherein the footboard is a flat slab of engineered wood having a thickness of approximately one inch. 
     
     
         10 . An actuating footrest that is operable by a user, the footrest comprising:
 (a.) a footboard configured to receive a plurality of forces applied by the user's feet;   (b.) a flexible frame configured to resist and return at least one of the applied forces, the flexible frame attached to the footboard and comprising:
 (i) a pair of lever arms connected to each other via a central crossbar, each lever arm having an angled elbow; 
 (ii) a stationary base configured to keep the footrest stationary while operated by the user, each lever arm transitioning to the stationary base at an angle, the stationary base comprising a pair of base arms that are connected to each other via another central crossbar running parallel and having a substantially similar length to the lever arm crossbar, the stationary base further comprising a plurality of floor grips configured to maintain the stationary position of the footrest; 
 (iii.) a plurality of bumpers; and, 
 wherein the resistance and return of one of the applied forces causes the flexible frame to flex and extend, respectively, the resistance and return of said flexion force causing an altered distance between the footboard and the stationary base. 
   
     
     
         11 . The actuating footrest of  claim 10 , wherein the base arms run parallel to each other and have equal lengths, the base arms curving toward each other to form the stationary base's central crossbar, and wherein the footboard has a length, width, and thickness, the base arm lengths being substantially similar to the width of the footboard. 
     
     
         12 . The actuating footrest of  claim 11 , wherein the footboard is a flat slab of engineered wood having a thickness of approximately one inch. 
     
     
         13 . The actuating footrest of  claim 12 , wherein the footboard is configured to pivot in response to one or more of the applied forces, wherein the central crossbar includes a protruding plate, wherein the protruding plate and angled elbows are configured to be stopping points for the footboard as it pivots within a full range of rotation, and wherein the bumpers are configured to protect the footboard from damage during pivoting. 
     
     
         14 . The actuating footrest of  claim 13 , wherein the flexible frame comprises a pair of lower hinge mechanisms, each hinge mechanism comprising a joint with a pin about which one or more springs are coiled. 
     
     
         15 . The actuating footrest of  claim 14 , wherein the angle formed by the transition from each lever arm to stationary base is formed by the lower hinge mechanism, and wherein the resistance and return of said flexion force causes an altered size of the lower hinge mechanisms' angles, the altered angle sizes remaining constantly equal to each other during flexion and extension. 
     
     
         16 . The actuating footrest of  claim 15 , wherein each lever arm and base arm comprises a spring cover configured to retain a portion of the coiled spring. 
     
     
         17 . The actuating footrest of  claim 16 , wherein the flexible frame further comprises an upper hinge mechanism about which the footboard pivots. 
     
     
         18 . The actuating footrest of  claim 17 , wherein the flexible frame is attached to the footboard via a connecting plate, the lever arms extending away from the connecting plate. 
     
     
         19 . The actuating footrest of  claim 18 , wherein the upper hinge mechanism includes a rod spanning a substantial portion of the length of the footboard. 
     
     
         20 . The actuating footrest of  claim 19 , wherein the rod of the upper hinge mechanism is substantially embedded within the footboard.