US2748838A - Foot rest cushion - Google Patents

Description

June 5, 1956 2,748,838

W. M. SCHOLL FOOT REST CUSHION Filed April 21, 1953 1771 227 far William M 5022121! 121 MMW W 2&5.

United Sates atent FOOT REST CUSHION William M. Scholl, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 21, 1953, Serial No. 350,027

2 Claims. (Cl. 155-169) This invention relates to improvements in a foot rest cushion of the type suitable for disposition in an automobile, on a floor, on a hassock, and in other suitable locations upon which to rest the human feet, although the invention may have other uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, various types and kinds of cushioned stools or ottomans, or other foot rest cushions, have been developed. However, these formerly known devices did not have an upper surface disposed at the proper angle to correctly and comfortably rest the feet, did not' have a soft yielding and somewhat massagic action against the plantar surface of the foot, did not in any manner accurately fit even a portion of the plantar surface of the foot, and were not satisfactorily stable in that they did not aid in maintaining the foot in a particular location best suitable for restful action of the cushion.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a foot rest cushion that is generally of wedge shape so as to provide a sloping upper face, the slope being toward the user, whereby the user may sit in a comfortable position and have adequate contact of each foot with the cushion.

it is also a feature of this invention to provide a foot rest cushion having an upper face sloping toward the user, and which cushion is made of foam latex which provides a soft yielding pressure against the plantar surface of the feet, and results .in action somewhat akin to a massaging action each time a foot is intentionally or inadvertently moved upon the cushion.

Still another object of the invention resides in a soft yielding foot cushion having contoured foot receiving portions .in the upper face thereof, such portions being contoured with at least a portion of the plantar surfaces of the feet.

Still a further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a foot cushion having an upper face sloping toward the user, and which cushion is made of molded foam latex with molded formations on the upper surface contoured in keeping with at least a portion of the plantar surfaces of the human feet.

it is also a feature of the invention to provide a foot cushion of the character set forth herein, equipped with a removable cover, both the cover and the cushion being launderable when desired.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apaprent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a top plan view of a foot cushion and cover embodying principles of the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the structure of Figure 1, taken from the right-hand side thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the foot cushion itself with the cover removed;

Figure 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the cushion alone taken substantially as indicated by the A fir 2,748,838 r Patented Jun 1956 line IV-IV of Fig. 3', looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a top. plan view of a foot cushion embodying principles of the instant invention, but illustrating a slightly different form of construction; and

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially as indicated by the line VIVI of Fig. 5.

As shown on the drawings:

In that illustrated embodiment of the instant invention. seen in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, there is shown a foot cushion 1 which is preferably of a general wedge shape although, as seen in Fig. 4, it is usually more desirable to have only one sloping surface, the underside being flat. The cushion 1 is preferably made of molded foam latex, and can satisfactorily be molded .in one piece.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that in the preferred construction the foot cushion 1 may be encased within a cover 2 having an opening on one side which is closed by a suitable slide fastener 3 or the equivalent. This cover may well be made of a suitable fabric of a type that is easily laundered. When the foot cushion itself is made of molded foam latex, the cushion is also easily laundered when desired, without injury.

Now with reference particularly to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the upper face of the cushion 1 is pro vided with allochiral formations i and 5. Each formation includes a concave heel seat 6, a lift 7 for the longitudinal arch, and a concavity 8 to receive the metatarsal heads and at least portions of the toes. In this instance, the upper face of the cushion is recessed to provide the contoured formations 4 and 5; i. e., the lift 7 at the highest point is even or flush with the normal plane of the upper face of the cushion.

With the arrangement just above described, it will be noted that a user, having preferably first removed his shoes or other articles of footwear, may place his feet in the contoured formations 4 and 5, with the heel snugly seating in the respective heel sockets 6. Contact is established substantially over the entire plantar surface of the foot by the soft yielding cushioning material, and yet the foot remains comfortably in place upon the cushion, without any tendency to slip or shift position. The soft yielding and very intimate contact with at least a portion of the plantar surface of each foot provides added rest and comfort, and when the cushion is made of foam latex, any tendency to move the foot results in a massagelike pressure against the plantar surface of the foot, which is highly beneficial. The comfort and rest acquired from the cushion above described is clearly distinguishable from the heretofore customary positioning of the heels alone on a foot rest, with the remainder of the foot projecting freely in the air.

In Figs. 5 and 6 l have illustrated a slightly different form of construction wherein a cushion 1a is of the same general shape as the cushion 1. In this instance, however, contoured formations are provided by way of elevations above the normal plane of the upper surface of the cushion. Thus, a curvate elevation 9 defines a heel socket 16, the bottom of which lies substantially in the normal plane of the upper face of the cushion. A convex elevation 11 on each formation, extending above the normal plane of the upper cushion face, provides the necessary lift for contacting the underside of the longitudinal arch of either foot. As seen in Fig. 5, the ridge 9 may extend as far forwardly as desired, and in the illustrated instance has been foreshortened so the upper face of the cushion is substantially fiat where the metatarsal heads rest. On the other hand, if so desired, the ridge 9 might extend clear around the toes of the foot and define, in effect, a recess for the metatarsal heads and at least portions of the toes, in the same manner as the recess 4 above described.

It will therefore be noted that it makes no difference which way the cushion is manufactured, either in the nature of an intaglio or a cameo. Furthermore, it will be understood that the entire structure may readily be molded of a single piece of foam latex, including the contoured formations of either type. The cover may be used with either form of the invention, and maintains the cushion in a more sanitary condition, in that it will not be necessary to launder the cushion nearly as often as the cover alone is laundered. In addition, it will be noted that the entire structure is not only beneficial to the feet, highly restful to the user, but may be economically manufactured, and is very long lived.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A foot rest cushion for supporting the foot of a user in a sitting position in a generally upwardly inclined position from the heel, which comprises a body of soft resilient material, said body being wedge-shaped and having a horizontal bottom face for engaging a supporting surface and an upper inclined face forming an angle less than 45 at one end with said bottom face thereby providing an upper and lower end, allochiral formations in said upper face, each formation including a first cavity for the heel of the foot adjacent the lower end of said upper face, a second cavity for the ball of the foot spaced from said first cavity and adjacent the other end of said upper face, and a convex arch supporting section connecting said cavities and projecting above the very bottoms thereof.

2. A foot rest cushion for supporting the foot of a user in a sitting position in a generally upwardly inclined position from the heel, which comprises a body of soft resilient material, said body being wedge-shaped and having a horizontal bottom face for engaging a supporting surface and an upper inclined face forming an angle less than 45 at one end with said bottom face thereby providing an upper and lower end, a formation in said upper face, said formation including a first cavity for the heel of a foot adjacent the lower end of said upper face, a second cavity for the ball of the foot spaced from said first cavity and adjacent the other end of said upper face, and a convex arch supporting section connecting said cavities and projecting above the very bottoms thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 108,352 Weirich Feb. 8, 1938 D. 140,212 McLane Jan. 30, 1945 1,060,236 Dodge Apr. 29, 1913 2,061,142 Denocenzo Nov. 17, 1936 2,237,475 Church Apr. 8, 1941 2,314,080 Dine et al Mar. 16, 1943 2,451,906 Berman Oct. 19, 1948 2,462,004 Rothery Feb. 15, 1949 2,478,497 Morrison Aug. 9, 1949 2,576,883 Koski NOV. 27, 1951 2,585,692 Scholl Feb. 12, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 24,000 Great Britain 1902 645,932 France July 9, 1928

Images