US 5,357,876 A · Portable hinged riser

Abstract

In accordance with the present disclosure, a portable riser unit for supporting persons or objects above the ground, a floor, a stage or the like is provided. The riser broadly comprises a base, generally rectangular step members, and hinge joints for pivotally, hingedly connecting the step members to the base. The base has an integrally formed, convoluted internal or interior support and baffle wall structure and may be filled with an appropriate low density, high volume material. Each step member also may be of this construction; however, the step members may or may not have an internal support wall. The step members are operably coupled to the base by double axis hinges including hinge blocks received in complementary hinge wells in the base and step members. The hinges are self-leveling to present a substantially smooth, level riser support surface in every possible configuration. The riser may be molded of a plastic material and includes integral hand grips to facilitate moving step members or the entire riser. By manipulating the step members, the riser may be re-shaped into a variety of operable configurations. The invention also encompasses connector keys for connecting two or more risers into a riser assembly.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A portable support comprising a plurality of operably coupled, substantially closed hollow bodies, said bodies including a base and at least one step member, said base and at least one step member having thin, substantially continuous walls and being substantially filled with a low density material, said support including a hinge means for operably coupling said base and at least one step member, said hinge means having at least one hinge assembly comprising

structure defining a base hinge well in said base;
structure defining a step member hinge well in said at least one step member;
a hinge block shiftably received within said base hinge well and said step member hinge well;
and
first and second hinge pins operably carried by said hinge block for pivotally coupling said hinge block to said base and step member respectively.

2 more elements

A riser assembly for supporting persons and objects at selected heights above a support surface, comprising:

a base member having a lower surface supported by said support surface, a front portion, a rear portion, a first upper surface extending along said rear portion oriented at a first height relative to said lower surface, and a second upper surface extending along said front portion and oriented at a second height which is lower than said first height to define a base member upper surface recess;
a first step member operably coupled to said case member rear portion, said first step member shiftable between a first configuration wherein said first step member presents an upper surface generally flush with said base member first upper surface and a second configuration wherein said first step member presents an upper surface oriented generally above said base ember first upper surface at a third height which is higher than said first height;
and
a second step member selectively receivable within said base member upper surface recess, said second step member shiftable between a first position wherein said second step member is operably received within said base member upper surface recess such that the second step member presents an upper surface generally flush with said base ember first user surface and a second position wherein said second step member is operably carried by said first upper surface such that the second step member presents an upper surface oriented at a fourth height which is higher than said first height but lower than said third height.

1 more element

A riser assembly for supporting persons and objects at selected heights above a support surface, comprising:

a base member having a lower surface supported by said support surface, a front portion, a rear portion, a first upper surface extending along said rear portion oriented at a first height relative to said lower surface, and a second upper surface extending along said front portion and oriented at a second height which is lower than said first height to define a base member upper surface recess;
and
a step member shiftable between a first position wherein said step member is operably received within said base member upper surface recess such that said step member presents an upper surface generally flush with said base member first upper surface and a second position wherein said step member is operably supported by said base member first upper surface to present an upper surface oriented at a third height which is higher than said first height.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Portable hinged riser

Life of this patent

Portable hinged riser

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21