The object of the present invention relates to a supporting device for a pole and footrest of a fixed or swivel stool, with a fixed or variable height, which acts as a support for the pole of the seat and, in turn, as a support for the footrest. This device facilitates the final assembly of the piece of furniture and considerably optimises the packaging thereof for transport.

The invention is especially applicable to the furniture industry.

It is generally known that existing stools on the market have the drawback that they are formed from a solid piece or from large pieces welded together, which makes it impossible to optimise the packaging thereof for transport, a factor of significant importance.

In certain stool designs, the footrest is supported on spokes which are welded directly to the pole, which prevents the optimisation of the packaging elements since the footrest cannot be disassembled, or on spokes joined to a ring that encircles the pole and is attached to said pole through one or several clamping bolts, wherein the system ends up failing and the footrest is no longer functional. There are other designs wherein the footrest begins from a fixed element at the base of the stool, which is also welded and requires more assembly elements from a construction standpoint.

Therefore, the present invention will resolve the aforementioned problems existing in the state of the art by providing a supporting device for a pole and footrest of a stool, wherein the stool assembly is formed by small, robust pieces to optimise the packaging and make it more practical. In addition, these pieces make it possible to assemble the stool easily and without additional tools.

This invention relates to a supporting device for a pole and footrest of a stool comprising a lower body that is joined to a complementary upper body by securing means. The lower body comprises in turn an upper part and a lower part. The upper part comprises a recess configured for inserting the pole and grooves slots disposed in lateral walls of said upper part configured for coupling spokes that act as a support for footrest.

The upper part and the upper body are shaped like complementary semi-spheres. The lower part is a cylindrical body.

The upper body comprises lateral walls and is perforated by a through-hole aligned with the recess for inserting the pole, wherein the supporting device is configured to be placed on a base of the stool and support the pole and footrest of the stool.

The recess of the upper part is centred and surrounded by compartments separated from each other by the grooves slots, wherein each compartment comprises a hollow lug in the centre. The grooves slots are disposed vertically in the lateral walls of the upper part and are equidistant from each other.

The through-hole of the upper body is centred and surrounded by compartments, wherein each compartment comprises a hollow negative in the centre configured to fit into the hollow lugs of the lower body.

The supporting device comprises four grooves slots, four compartments, four hollow lugs and four hollow negatives.

The securing means of the lower body to the upper body are screws configured to be inserted through the hollow lugs of the upper part from the bottom up and to pass through the hollow negatives of the upper body.

Both the through-hole and the cylindrical body have a cross section of the lower end that is narrower than the cross section of the upper end.

The cylindrical body internally comprises a central threaded tubular body connected to three threaded tubular bodies disposed in lateral walls of the cylindrical body by means of ribs.

The lower and upper bodies are manufactured by injection, machining or additive manufacturing, and can be made of metal or plastic.

The recess of the upper part of the lower body and the through-hole of the upper body are circular in shape. The recess comprises a wing-shaped projection.

Another object of the invention relates to the stool incorporating the supporting device, wherein the stool comprises a seat, a backrest, a pole, and a base. The stool may also comprise an armrest.

To supplement the description that is being made and in order to aid a better understanding of the features of the invention, a set of drawings has been attached to this specification as an integral part thereof, which represents the following by way of illustration and not limitation:

• Figure 1a.- Shows a front view of the supporting device.
• Figure 1b.- Shows a top view of the supporting device.
• Figure 2.- Shows an exploded view of the supporting device.
• Figure 3.- Shows another exploded view of the supporting device.
• Figure 4.- Shows a top view of the lower body of the supporting device.
• Figure 5a.- Shows a view of the upper body of the supporting device.
• Figure 5b.- Shows a sectioned view of the upper body of the supporting device.
• Figures 6, 7, 8.- Show different types of stools with different designs of the supporting device.

The following is a list of the different elements represented in the figures that make up the invention:

1.

Supporting device.

2.

Upper body.

3.

Lower body.

4.

Upper part of the lower body.

5.

Lower part of the lower body.

6.

Recess.

7.

Grooves slots.

8.

Lateral walls of the upper part of the upper body.

9.

Spokes.

10.

Footrest.

11.

Cylindrical body.

12.

Through-hole.

13.

Base of the stool.

14.

Compartments.

15.

Hollow lug.

16.

Hollow negative.

17.

Tubular body.

18.

Ribs.

19.

Wing-shaped projection.

20.

Holes.

21.

Lateral walls of the upper body.

22.

Pole.

23.

Stool.

An object of the invention relates a supporting device (1) for a pole (22) and footrest (10) for a piece of furniture for seating, and specifically for a stool (23), which may be used for a fixed or swivel chair or armchair, with a fixed or variable height, which acts as a support for the pole (22) of the seat and backrest, and in turn as a support for footrest (10), as seen in Figures 6, 7 and 8. The supporting device (1) is placed on the base (13) of the stool, after which the rest of the stool (23) can be assembled.

The supporting device (1) comprises an upper body (2) that is joined to the lower body (3) by securing means, where both bodies (2, 3) are manufactured by injection, machining or additive manufacturing, and are preferably made of metal, although they can also be made of plastic.

The lower body (3) comprises an upper part (4) and a lower part (5). Preferably, both parts (4, 5) are joined together, wherein the upper part (4) has the shape of a semi-sphere and comprises a circular central recess (6) surrounded by four compartments (14) separated from one another by preferably four grooves slots (7), disposed vertically and equidistant to each other in the lateral walls (8) of the semi-sphere to which the spokes (9) that serve as a support for the 360° perimeter frame of the footrest (10) are coupled.

As shown in Figure 1a, the grooves slots (7) do not reach the bottom of the upper part (4). The upper part (4) also comprises four hollow lugs (15), each hollow lug (15) of which is disposed in the centre of each compartment (14) and reinforced with ribs to provide them with greater stiffness.

The central recess (6) comprises a wing-shaped projection (19) on its surface that helps secure the spokes (9) that support the pole (22).

The lower part (5) is a tapered cylindrical body (11), i.e. the cross section of the lower end of the cylindrical body (11) is slightly narrower than the cross section of the upper end, which allows the lower part (5) to better adapt to the base (13) of the stool (23) shown in Figure 3.

The base (13) of the stool (23) can have different designs, such as a flat base as shown in Figure 6, a conical base of sheet metal as shown in Figure 7, or a legged base as shown in Figure 8, etc. Only when a flat base (13) is used, the cylindrical body (11) internally comprises threaded tubular bodies (17), namely one central threaded tubular body (17) connected to three other threaded tubular bodies (17) disposed in the lateral walls of the cylindrical body (11) by means of ribs (18), wherein said threaded tubular bodies (17) are used to secure the base (13) of the stool (23) to the lower body (3) by means of screws. The ribs (18) provide stiffness and consistency to the supporting device (1).

The upper body (2) is complementary to the lower body (3) and finishes the supporting device (1), closing and securing the spokes (9). Like the lower body (3), the upper body (2) has the shape of a semi-sphere and comprises four compartments (14) with four hollow negatives (16) that fit into the hollow lugs (15) of the lower body (3). The upper body (2) comprises a cylindrical cross-sectional through-hole (12) that is aligned with the recess (6) of the upper part (4) of the lower body (3), wherein the through-hole (12) perforates the upper body (2) from the upper end to the lower end, the cross section of the lower end of the through-hole (12) being slightly narrower than the cross section of the upper end (tapered shape) shown in Figure 5b. This design secures the pole (22) more tightly. The upper body (2) is also ribbed to provide greater stiffness.

Preferably, the securing means that join the lower body (3) to the upper body (2) are screws that are inserted from the bottom up through the hollow lugs (15) of the lower body (3) and pass through the hollow negatives (16) of the upper body (2). Figure 3 shows the holes (20) of the upper part (4) of the lower body (3) through which the screws are inserted, while Figure 5b shows how far the screws go into the upper body (2).

Obviously, the supporting device (1) can be provided in different shapes as long as it supports the pole (22) of the seat and the footrest (10). The same design can also have a different number of compartments (14), lugs (15) and hollow negatives (16).

Figures 6, 7 and 8 show how the external design of the supporting device (1) may vary, which may be smooth or exhibit different drawings.

Another object of the invention relates to the stool (23) incorporating the supporting device (1), wherein the stool (23) comprises a seat, a backrest, a pole (22), and a base (13). The stool may also comprise an armrest.

The present invention should not be limited to the embodiment described herein. Other arrangements may be carried out by those skilled in the art based on the present description. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims.