Boot jack

Abstract

Provide a boot jack that can be compactly fixed and stored in the vertical direction at a desired location such as the upper edge. 【Solution means】The boot jack 1 according to the present invention includes a heel engaging portion 10 having a pair of movable arms 12 that sandwich the heel portion of the boot, a use form in which the pair of movable arms 12 are arranged to extend forward, and a pair of movable arms 12 are arranged so as to extend in the lateral direction X toward opposite sides of each other. A holder 20 that holds the heel engaging portion 10 so as to be switchable between storage forms, and a fixed portion 28 that is provided so as to extend in the lateral direction X on the back of the holder 20 and is fixed to the installation surface 101.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a boot jack used as an aid for taking off boots.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a boot jack has sometimes been used to make it easier to take off boots. Generally, a boot jack includes an elongated plate-like member inclined so that one end is higher, and a U-shaped or V-shaped heel engaging portion for hooking the heel portion of the boot is provided at the higher end of the plate-like member. By using this type of boot jack, the user can simply insert the heel portion of the boot on one foot into the heel engaging portion while pressing the lower end of the plate-like member with the other foot without squatting or bending, and then pull up this foot to easily take off the boot.

[0003] Although a conventional boot jack is excellent in convenience as described above, it is necessary to secure a storage place when not in use. Regarding this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a boot jack having a heel engaging portion that can be folded downward.

[0004] According to the technique of Patent Document 1, it becomes possible to store the boot jack in a planar and compact manner. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 3 of the same document, it is also possible to fix the boot jack to the rising surface of a riser having a relatively large height. In this case, the boot jack can be used immediately by simply pulling up the heel engaging portion stored along the rising surface of the riser, and when not in use, it can be stored by simply folding the heel engaging portion downward.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, in order to fold the heel engagement part downward as in the technology of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install the boot jack in a place where there is a certain amount of vertical space. Therefore, there is a problem that the boot jack cannot be fixed and stored in a place where the vertical space is not sufficient, such as a rising sill that is not very high.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a boot jack that can be compactly fixed and stored in the vertical direction at a desired location such as a rising sill.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] A boot jack according to an aspect of the present invention includes a heel engagement portion having a pair of movable arms that sandwich the heel portion of the boot, a use form in which the pair of movable arms are arranged to extend forward, and a storage form in which the pair of movable arms are arranged to extend laterally toward opposite sides. And a holder that holds the heel engagement portion so as to be switchable therebetween, and a fixed portion that is provided so as to extend laterally at the back of the holder and is fixed to an installation surface.

Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to the boot jack of the present invention, the fixed portion provided so as to extend laterally at the back of the holder is fixed to an installation surface such as the rising surface of the rising sill, and the pair of movable arms of the heel engagement portion are arranged to extend laterally toward opposite sides and are stored. Therefore, the entire boot jack can be compactly fixed and stored in the vertical direction at a desired location such as a rising sill that is not very high.

[0010] In the storage configuration, the entire boot jack is arranged along the installation surface, so it is less likely to get in the way. When in use, simply switch the heel engagement part from the storage configuration to the use configuration, and sandwich the heel part of the boot between a pair of movable arms arranged to extend forward, then pull up the foot, and the boot can be easily removed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, the boot jack 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the following description is merely illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0013] [Schematic Configuration of Boot Jack] The boot jack 1 is installed at a use location by being fixed to an arbitrary installation surface along the vertical direction, such as the rising surface 101 of the rising frame 100.

[0014] Hereinafter, the configuration of the boot jack 1 will be described using the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction indicated by the arrows in the accompanying drawings. Here, the X direction indicates a horizontal direction (hereinafter referred to as the "lateral direction X") parallel to the installation surface of the boot jack 1 (for example, the rising surface 101 of the rising frame 100), the Y direction indicates a horizontal direction perpendicular to the installation surface of the boot jack 1 (hereinafter referred to as the "front-rear direction Y"), and the Z direction indicates a direction along the vertical direction (hereinafter referred to as the "vertical direction Z").

[0015] As shown in the perspective views of FIGS. 1 and 2, the boot jack 1 includes a heel engaging portion 10 having a pair of movable arms 12 for sandwiching the heel portion of the boot, and a holder 20 for holding the heel engaging portion 10.

[0016] The holder 20 holds the heel engagement portion 10 so that it can be switched between a use configuration in which a pair of movable arms 12 extend forward in the front-rear direction Y as shown in FIG. 1, and a storage configuration in which a pair of movable arms 12 extend laterally in opposite directions as shown in FIG. 2.

[0017] The boot jack 1 further includes an operation member 50 that can be operated from the front in the storage configuration (see FIG. 2). When a user wearing boots presses the operation member 50 with the heel, a pair of movable arms 12 that can be switched from the storage configuration (see FIG. 2) to the use configuration (see FIG. 1) rotate.

[0018] As a result, the heel portion of the boot is sandwiched between the pair of movable arms 12. Therefore, the user of the boot jack 1 can easily remove the boots without bending down or stooping. Also, when removing the boots, there is no need to hold down the end of the boot jack 1 with the other foot as in the conventional case.

[0019] As shown in the plan view of FIG. 3 and the front view of FIG. 4, the boot jack 1 includes a coil spring 40 as a rotational biasing mechanism, a lock mechanism 2, and an unlock mechanism 4 for switching between the storage configuration (see FIGS. 2 to 4) and the use configuration (see FIG. 1). Before explaining these mechanisms 2, 4, 40, the configuration of each component 10, 20, 50 of the boot jack 1 will be explained mainly with reference to the exploded perspective view of FIG. 5 and the perspective views of FIGS. 6 to 8.

[0020] [Holder] As shown in FIG. 5, the holder 20 includes a pair of support shafts 22, an upper wall portion 24, a lower wall portion 26, and a fixed portion 28. The components 22, 24, 26, 28 of the holder 20 are made of, for example, metal, but may be made of other materials.

[0021] Each of the pair of support shafts 22 is provided at intervals in the lateral direction X so as to correspond to each of the pair of movable arms 12 of the heel engagement portion 10. Each support shaft 22 is configured to rotatably support the proximal end portion of the corresponding movable arm 12. The support shaft 22 is formed, for example, in a columnar shape with a circular cross section and is arranged so as to extend along the vertical direction Z. The support shaft 22 is fixed or integrated with the upper surface of the lower side wall portion 26.

[0022] The lower side wall portion 26 is composed of a plate arranged perpendicular to the vertical direction Z. The lower side wall portion 26 has an elongated shape extending in the lateral direction X. Both ends of the lower side wall portion 26 in the lateral direction X have, for example, a semi-circular contour.

[0023] On the upper surface of the lower side wall portion 26, a pair of rotation restricting portions 27 for restricting the rotation of the lower end portion of the coil spring 40 (see FIG. 4) project. Each rotation restricting portion 27 is provided at both ends of the lower side wall portion 26 so as to extend outward in the lateral direction X from the outer peripheral portion of the support shaft 22.

[0024] The fixed portion 28 is composed of a plate arranged perpendicular to the front-rear direction Y. The fixed portion 28 has an elongated shape extending in the lateral direction X and is provided on the back of the holder 20. In the lateral direction X, the fixed portion 28 is shorter than the lower side wall portion 26. The fixed portion 28 is fixed or integrated with the upper surface of the lower side wall portion 26 at the rear edge portion.

[0025] The fixed portion 28 constitutes the rear wall portion of the holder 20 and is arranged along the installation surface (for example, the rising surface 101 of the rising frame 100 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The fixed portion 28 is fixed to the installation surface on its rear surface by fixing means such as, for example, double-sided tape or adhesive. Thereby, the boot jack 1 is fixed to the installation surface in a state floating from the floor surface.

[0026] On the front surface of the fixed part 28, a spring holding part 29 protrudes. The spring holding part 29 is constituted by, for example, pins extending in the front-rear direction Y. The spring holding part 29 is provided at the upper edge part of the central part in the lateral direction X of the fixed part 28. A coil spring 60 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later and biases the operating member 50 forward in the front-rear direction Y, is attached to the spring holding part 29.

[0027] The upper side wall part 24 is constituted by a plate arranged perpendicular to the vertical direction Z. The upper side wall part 24 has an elongated shape extending in the lateral direction X. The upper side wall part 24 has the same contour as the lower side wall part 26.

[0028] The upper ends of the pair of support shafts 22 are fixed to the upper side wall part 24. A pair of openings 25 into which the upper ends of the support shafts 22 are respectively inserted may be provided on the upper side wall part 24 at intervals in the lateral direction X corresponding to the pair of support shafts 22. The opening 25 is constituted by, for example, a through hole, but may also be constituted by a bottomed hole opening downward.

[0029] Also, the upper end part of the fixed part 28 is fixed to the upper side wall part 24. Thereby, the upper side wall part 24 and the lower side wall part 26 are connected to each other via the pair of support shafts 22 and the fixed part 28.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 6, the holder 20 includes a pair of stoppers 30 constituting a part of the locking mechanism 2, and a slide guide part 36 that slidably supports the operating member 50 in the front-rear direction Y. The stopper 30 and the slide guide part 36 protrude from the lower surface of the upper side wall part 24.

[0031] The stoppers 30 are provided at the peripheral edges of the respective openings 25, that is, in the vicinity of the respective support shafts 22. Specifically, each stopper 30 is arranged adjacent to the inside in the lateral direction X of the opening 25.

[0032] The stopper 30 has a stop surface 31 that extends downward along the vertical direction Z from the lower surface of the upper wall portion 24, and a guide surface 32 that extends obliquely downward from the lower surface of the upper wall portion 24 toward the lower edge of the stop surface 31. The stop surface 31 is disposed perpendicular to the front-rear direction Y so as to face the front in the front-rear direction Y. The guide surface 32 is an inclined surface that extends obliquely upward from the lower edge of the stop surface 31 toward the rear in the front-rear direction Y.

[0033] The slide guide portion 36 is provided at the central portion of the lower surface of the upper wall portion 24. The slide guide portion 36 has, for example, a pair of rail portions 38 that extend in the front-rear direction Y. Each rail portion 38 is, for example, an elongated portion having an L-shaped cross section with a side wall portion that extends downward from the lower surface of the upper wall portion 24 and a bottom wall portion that extends inward in the lateral direction X from the lower end portion of the side wall portion. The slide guide portion 36 is capable of holding a part (a rearward extension portion 56 described later) of the operation member 50 between the bottom wall portions of the pair of rail portions 38 and the upper wall portion 24.

[0034] [Operation member] The configuration of the operation member 50 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 5 and 7.

[0035] The operation member 50 is made of, for example, metal, but may be made of other materials. The operation member 50 is provided so as to be operable from the front of the holder 20 between the pair of movable arms 12 in order to operate the unlocking mechanism 4 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

[0036] The operation member 50 includes a pair of pressing portions 52 arranged at intervals in the lateral direction X, an elongated base plate portion 55 that extends in the lateral direction X so as to connect the pair of pressing portions 52, a rearward extension portion 56 that extends rearward along the front-rear direction Y from the central portion of the base plate portion 55, a spring receiving portion 57 that extends downward from the rear end portion of the rearward extension portion 56, and an operated portion 58 that extends downward from the base plate portion 55 between the pair of pressing portions 52.

[0037] The rear extension part 56 is slidably supported in the front-rear direction Y by the slide guide part 36 (see FIG. 6) of the holder 20 described above. Thereby, the operation member 50 is held by the holder 20 so as to be arranged along the lower surface of the upper side wall part 24.

[0038] In the stored form (see FIGS. 2 to 4), the operated part 58 is arranged so as to be exposed forward of the holder 20. When viewed from the front side in the front-rear direction Y, the operated part 58 is arranged so as to extend in the lateral direction X between the upper side wall part 24 and the lower side in the vertical direction Z and between a pair of movable arms 12 extending in the lateral direction X (see FIG. 4). In the stored form, the operated part 58 is pushed forward to backward by the heel part of the user's boot.

[0039] By the pushing operation of the operated part 58, the entire operation member 50 is pushed backward. At this time, while the backward movement of the rear extension part 56 is guided by the slide guide part 36 of the holder 20, the entire operation member 50 is translated along the front-rear direction Y.

[0040] The contour of the pair of pressing parts 52 when viewed from above in the vertical direction Z has a front edge part and a rear edge part parallel to the lateral direction X, and an arc-shaped side edge part that curves so as to bulge obliquely forward toward the outside of the lateral direction X. The front edge part of the pressing part 52 is continuously aligned in a straight line with the front edge part of the base plate part 55. The rear edge part of the pressing part 52 is located on the rear side in the front-rear direction Y with respect to the rear edge part of the base plate part 55. That is, the pressing part 52 protrudes to the rear side in the front-rear direction Y with respect to the rear edge part of the base plate part 55.

[0041] The upper surface of the pressing part 52 is flush with the upper surface of the base plate part 55. The thickness of the pressing part 52 in the vertical direction Z is larger than that of the base plate part 55. That is, the pressing part 52 protrudes to the lower side in the vertical direction Z with respect to the lower surface of the base plate part 55.

[0042] Each of the pair of pressing portions 52 is arranged in a region overlapping with the movable arm 12 inside the rotation axis (axial center of the support shaft 22) of the movable arm 12 in the lateral direction X (see FIGS. 9 and 10). Also, in the storage form (see FIGS. 2 to 4), each of the pair of pressing portions 52 is arranged in a region overlapping with the upper edge portion of the movable arm 12 in the vertical direction Z (see FIG. 9(b)). Therefore, the pressing portion 52 that is translated rearward by the pushing operation of the operated portion 58 is pressed against the upper edge portion of the movable arm 12 from the front side in the front-rear direction Y.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 7, each of the pair of pressing portions 52 has an inclined surface 53 that slopes upward toward the tip on the rear side in the front-rear direction Y. Therefore, while the pressing portion 52 is translated rearward by the pushing operation of the operated portion 58, the upper edge portion of the movable arm 12 can be pressed downward by the inclined surface 53.

[0044] [Heel engagement portion] The configuration of the pair of movable arms 12 that constitute the heel engagement portion 10 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 5 and 8.

[0045] The pair of movable arms 12 is made of, for example, metal, but may be made of other materials. The pair of movable arms 12 is arranged along a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction Z. The pair of movable arms 12 has a shape that is line-symmetrical with each other when viewed from the vertical direction Z. The pair of movable arms 12 has a shape that is slightly curved so as to bulge outward in the lateral direction X in the usage form (see FIG. 1). The width of the movable arm 12 when viewed from the vertical direction Z tapers from the base end portion toward the tip end portion. The movable arm 12 has, for example, a uniform thickness (vertical direction Z dimension) over the entire length. A cover (not shown), for example, made of rubber for increasing the frictional force with the boot may be attached to the outside of the movable arm 12.

[0046] A through-hole 13 for fitting onto the outside of the support shaft 22 is provided at the proximal end portion of the movable arm 12. Thereby, the movable arm 12 can be rotatably fitted onto the outside of the support shaft 22. The heel engagement portion 10 can be switched between a use form (see FIG. 1) and a storage form (see FIGS. 2 to 4) by the rotation of the movable arm 12 around the support shaft 22 (i.e., around the axis extending in the vertical direction Z).

[0047] As shown in FIG. 5, a pressed portion 14 and a spacer portion 17 project from the upper surface of each movable arm 12.

[0048] The pressed portion 14 is provided at the peripheral edge of the through-hole 13, i.e., in the vicinity of the support shaft 22. Specifically, the pressed portion 14 is provided in a portion of the movable arm 12 on the proximal end side of the through-hole 13. The pressed portion 14 extends in the radial direction of the through-hole 13 from the peripheral edge of the through-hole 13 to the peripheral edge of the proximal end portion of the movable arm 12.

[0049] The pressed portion 14 has a pressed surface 15 extending upward along the vertical direction Z from the upper surface of the movable arm 12, and a guided surface 16 extending obliquely upward from the upper surface of the movable arm 12 toward the upper edge of the pressed surface 15. The pressed surface 15 is arranged perpendicular to the front-rear direction Y so as to face the rear in the front-rear direction Y in the storage form (see FIGS. 2 to 4). The guided surface 16 is an inclined surface extending obliquely downward from the upper edge of the pressed surface 15 toward the front in the front-rear direction Y in the storage form (see FIGS. 2 to 4).

[0050] The spacer portion 17 is provided at the peripheral edge of the through-hole 13, i.e., in the vicinity of the support shaft 22. The spacer portion 17 is provided to extend in an arc shape along the peripheral edge of the through-hole 13. Specifically, the spacer portion 17 is arranged in a portion of the movable arm 12 on the distal end side of the through-hole 13. A part of the spacer portion 17 is arranged to face the pressed portion 14 with the through-hole 13 interposed therebetween.

[0051] The upper end surface of the spacer portion 17 is a flat surface perpendicular to the vertical direction Z, and is pressed against the lower surface of the upper side wall portion 24 by the upward biasing force of the coil spring 40 (see FIG. 4) in the usage form (see FIG. 1) and the storage form (see FIGS. 2 to 4). Thereby, the stability of the support of the movable arm 12 by the holder 20 is enhanced.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 8, a rotation restricting portion 18 for restricting the rotation of the upper end portion of the coil spring 40 (see FIG. 4) is provided protruding from the lower surface of each movable arm 12. The rotation restricting portion 18 is provided so as to extend from the peripheral edge portion of the through hole 13 toward the tip side of the movable arm 12.

[0053] [Description of various mechanisms] With reference mainly to FIGS. 9 to 13, the configurations of the rotational biasing mechanism (coil spring 40), the lock mechanism 2, and the unlock mechanism 4 will be described.

[0054] FIGS. 9 and 11 show the locked state in the storage form, FIG. 12 shows the state in which unlocking is in progress in the storage form, and FIGS. 10 and 13 show the state in which unlocking in the storage form is completed. FIGS. 9(a) and 10(a) are cross-sectional views taken along line A-A of FIG. 4 as seen from the upper side in the vertical direction Z of the inside of the holder 20, and FIGS. 9(b) and 10(b) are front views of the holder 20 and its inside as seen from the front side in the front-rear direction Y. FIGS. 11(a), 12(a), and 13(a) are cross-sectional views taken along line B-B of FIG. 9(b) as seen from the lateral direction X of the inside of the holder 20, and FIGS. 11(b), 12(b), and 13(b) are cross-sectional views taken along line C-C of FIG. 9(b) as seen from the lateral direction X of the inside of the holder 20.

[0055] [Rotational biasing mechanism] As shown in FIGS. 9(b) and 10(b), the coil spring 40 constituting the rotational biasing mechanism is provided corresponding to each of the pair of movable arms 12.

[0056] Each coil spring 40 is attached so as to be wound around the support shaft 22 between the upper surface of the lower wall portion 26 of the holder 20 and the lower surface of the movable arm 12. The circumferential movement of the lower end portion of the coil spring 40 from the front to the rear is restricted by the rotation restricting portion 27 of the holder 20, and the circumferential movement of the upper end portion of the coil spring 40 to the opposite side is restricted by the rotation restricting portion 18 of the movable arm 12. By the biasing force in the rotational direction of the coil spring 40 generated thereby, each movable arm 12 is biased in the rotational direction from the stored form (see FIG. 1) to the use form (see FIGS. 2 to 4).

[0057] Also, the coil spring 40 is attached in a state of being compressed in the vertical direction Z between the lower wall portion 26 and the movable arm 12. By the biasing force in the vertical direction Z of the coil spring 40 generated thereby, each movable arm 12 is biased upward in the vertical direction Z.

[0058] [Lock mechanism] In particular, as shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 11(b), the lock mechanism 2 includes the aforementioned stopper 30 protruding from the lower surface of the upper wall portion 24 of the holder 20 and the aforementioned pressed portion 14 protruding from the upper surface of the movable arm 12. In the stored form, the pressed surface 15 (see FIG. 5) of the pressed portion 14 is pressed against the stop surface 31 (see FIG. 6) of the stopper 30 by the biasing force in the rotational direction acting on the movable arm 12 by the coil spring 40.

[0059] By the action of such a lock mechanism 2, the rotation of the movable arm 12 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 40 is blocked, so that the movable arm 12 is locked in the stored form.

[0060] [Unlock mechanism] As shown in FIGS. 9 to 13, the unlocking mechanism 4 includes the aforementioned operating member 50. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 11(a), a coil spring 60 that can expand and contract in the front-rear direction Y is interposed between a spring receiving portion 57 provided at the rear end portion of the operating member 50 and a fixed portion 28 of the holder 20. By this coil spring 60, the operating member 50 is biased toward the front side in the front-rear direction Y.

[0061] In the stored state, when the operated portion 58 of the operating member 50 is pushed in from the front, as shown in FIGS. 11(a), 12(a), and 13(a), the operating member 50 is translated toward the rear side in the front-rear direction Y while contracting the coil spring 60.

[0062] When the operating member 50 is translated in this way, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the inclined surface 53 of the pressing portion 52 of the operating member 50 presses down the movable arm 12 while contacting the upper edge portion of the movable arm 12. By such pressing down of the movable arm 12 by the operating member 50, as shown in FIG. 13(b), the pressed portion 14 of the movable arm 12 is disengaged downward from the stopper 30 of the holder 20. Thereby, the locking of the movable arm 12 by the locking mechanism 2 in the stored state is released.

[0063] [Switching operation between stored state and use state] Hereinafter, mainly with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16, the switching operation between the stored state (see FIG. 1) and the use state (see FIGS. 2 to 4) will be described.

[0064] FIG. 14 shows a state in which the movable arm 12 starts to rotate from the stored state toward the use state, FIG. 15 shows a state in which the rotation of the movable arm 12 from the stored state toward the use state further progresses, and FIG. 16 shows a state in which the rotation of the movable arm 12 to the use state is completed. FIGS. 14(a), 15(a), and 16(a) are cross-sectional views of a part inside the holder 20 as viewed from above in the vertical direction Z, and FIGS. 14(b), 15(b), and 16(b) are cross-sectional views taken along line C-C of FIG. 9(b) as viewed from the lateral direction X of the inside of the holder 20.

[0065] When the lock of the movable arm 12 is released by the pushing operation of the operation member 50 in the storage form (see Fig. 1), as shown in Figs. 14(a), 15(a), and 16(a), each movable arm 12 rotates from the storage form toward the use form by the biasing force in the rotational direction by the coil spring 40. During the transition from such a storage form to the use form, the pressed portion 14 of the movable arm 12 passes through the stop surface 31 of the stopper 30 of the holder 20 from below.

[0066] Also, as shown in Figs. 14(b), 15(b), and 16(b), each movable arm 12 is pressed upward by the upward biasing force by the coil spring 40 while rotating as described above. Therefore, when the pushing operation is released and the operation member 50 moves forward toward its original position by the biasing force of the coil spring 60, and when the interference between the pressed portion 14 of the movable arm 12 and the stopper 30 of the holder 20 is eliminated as shown in Fig. 16(a), the movable arm 12 is raised until the pressed portion 14 and the spacer portion 17 contact the lower surface of the upper wall portion 24 of the holder 20.

[0067] As shown in Figs. 16(a) and 16(b), when the rotation and raising of the movable arm 12 are completed, the switching from the storage form to the use form is completed.

[0068] Thereby, the pair of movable arms 12 arranged to extend forward are biased in a direction approaching each other by the biasing force in the rotational direction by the coil spring 40. By the pair of movable arms 12 biased in this way, the heel portion of the user's boots is sandwiched. In this state, the user can easily take off the boots just by pulling up this foot.

[0069] On the other hand, after using the boot jack 1, by opening the pair of movable arms 12 extending forward to both sides in the lateral direction X so as to separate from each other by the user's hand or foot, the use form can be switched to the storage form.

[0070] At this time, the positional relationship between the pressed portion 14 of the movable arm 12 and the stopper 30 of the holder 20 changes from the state of the usage mode shown in FIG. 16, through the states shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 14, to the state of the storage mode (see FIG. 13(b)).

[0071] During the transition from such a usage mode to the storage mode, the pressed portion 14 of the movable arm 12, particularly the guided surface 16, is guided by the guide surface 32 of the stopper 30 toward the lower edge of the stop surface 31 of the stopper 30. When the entire pressed portion 14 passes through the guide surface 32 of the stopper 30 (see FIG. 13(b)), the movable arm 12 is pushed upward by the upward biasing force of the coil spring 40, so that the pressed surface 15 of the pressed portion 14 and the stop surface 31 of the stopper 30 come into contact to form a locked state. Thereby, the transition to the storage mode is completed.

[0072] [Function and Effect] According to the boot jack 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the fixed portion 28 provided so as to extend in the lateral direction X on the back of the holder 20 is fixed to the installation surface such as the rising surface 101 of the rising frame 100, and the pair of movable arms 12 of the heel engaging portion 10 are arranged and stored so as to extend in the lateral direction X toward opposite sides. Therefore, the entire boot jack 1 can be compactly fixed and stored in the vertical direction Z at a desired location such as the rising frame 100 that is not very high. Further, in the storage mode (see FIG. 2), since the entire boot jack 1 is arranged along the installation surface (for example, the rising surface 101 of the rising frame 100), it is not likely to be in the way.

[0073] Also, during use, by simply pushing in the operating member 50 of the boot jack 1 in the storage mode (see FIG. 2) with the heel portion of the boot, it can be easily switched to the usage mode (see FIG. 1), and the heel portion of the boot can be sandwiched by the pair of movable arms 12. Therefore, the user can easily take off the boot without having to bend down or crouch, and without having to hold down a part of the boot jack 1 with the other foot as in the prior art.

[0074] The present invention has been described above by way of the above-described embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

Explanation of Signs

[0075] 1 Boot Jack 2 Lock Mechanism 4 Unlock Mechanism 10 Heel Engagement Portion 12 Movable Arm 14 Pressed Portion 15 Pressed Surface 16 Guided Surface 18 Rotation Restriction Portion 20 Holder 22 Support Shaft 24 Upper Wall Portion 26 Lower Wall Portion 27 Rotation Restriction Portion 28 Fixed Portion 30 Stopper 31 Stop Surface 32 Guide Surface 36 Slide Guide Portion 40 Rotation Biasing Mechanism (Coil Spring) 50 Operating Member 52 Pressing Portion 53 Inclined Surface 56 Rear Extension 58 Operated Portion 60 Coil Spring

Claims

1. A heel engaging portion having a pair of movable arms for sandwiching the heel portion of the boot, A holder for holding the heel engaging portion so as to be switchable between a use mode in which the pair of movable arms are arranged to extend forward and a storage mode in which the pair of movable arms are arranged to extend laterally toward opposite sides of each other, A fixed portion provided so as to extend laterally at the back of the holder and fixed to the installation surface, A boot jack characterized by comprising the above.

2. The holder has a pair of support shafts that rotatably support the base ends of the movable arms corresponding to each of the pair of movable arms, The boot jack according to claim 1, wherein the heel engaging portion is switchable between the use mode and the storage mode by rotation of the movable arm around the support shaft.

3. A rotational biasing mechanism for biasing each of the pair of movable arms in the rotational direction from the storage mode toward the use mode, A locking mechanism for locking the movable arm so as to prevent rotation of the movable arm by the biasing force of the rotational biasing mechanism in the storage mode, An unlocking mechanism for unlocking the locking of the movable arm by the locking mechanism in the storage mode, The boot jack according to claim 2, characterized by comprising the above.

4. The boot jack according to claim 3, wherein an operating member for operating the unlocking mechanism is provided so as to be operable from the front of the holder between the pair of movable arms.

5. The holder includes an upper wall portion and a lower wall portion connected to each other via the pair of support shafts, The boot jack according to claim 3, wherein the rotational biasing mechanism includes a coil spring attached around the support shaft between the upper surface of the lower wall portion and the lower surface of the movable arm.

6. The boot jack according to claim 5, wherein the coil spring is attached in a contracted state so as to bias the movable arm upward.

7. The locking mechanism includes a stopper protruding from the lower surface of the upper wall portion and a portion to be pressed protruding from the upper surface of the movable arm so as to be pressed against the stopper by the biasing force of the rotational biasing mechanism in the storage mode. The unlocking mechanism of the boot jack according to claim 6 is characterized by including an operating member that pushes down the movable arm so that the pressed portion disengages downward from the stopper.

8. The holder includes a slide guide portion that slidably supports the operating member in the front-rear direction. The operating member of the boot jack according to claim 7 has an operated portion that is pushed in from the front to the rear, and a pressing portion that presses the upper edge portion of the movable arm downward while translating rearward by the pushing operation of the operated portion.

9. The boot jack according to claim 8 is characterized in that the pressing portion has an inclined surface that inclines upward toward the rear tip.

10. The stopper of the boot jack according to any one of claims 7 to 9 has a stop surface that abuts against the pressed portion in the stored form, and a guide surface that guides the pressed portion that has passed below the stop surface during the transition from the stored form to the use form toward the lower edge of the stop surface during the transition from the use form to the stored form.

11. The boot jack according to claim 10 is characterized in that the guide surface is an inclined surface that inclines downward from the lower surface of the upper side wall portion toward the lower edge of the stop surface.

Images