AU2012267202A1

AU2012267202A1 - Adjustable support arm

Info

Publication number: AU2012267202A1
Application number: AU2012267202A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Warwick James Brown; John Ellis; Ricardo FIGARI BELLO; Lorrin Megan Windahl
Original assignee: UNICORE Pty Ltd
Current assignee: UNICORE Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2011-06-08
Filing date: 2012-06-08
Publication date: 2014-01-09
Also published as: WO2012167311A1; EP2718607A4; EP2718607A1; TW201320876A; AU2011101206A4

Abstract

An adjustable support arm for an articulated support assembly for an object such as a flat screen monitor including a first and second pivotal connector located at a first and second end of an elongate body. A first and second linkage member interconnects the first and second pivotal connectors. The second linkage member includes means to impose a tensile force between the first and second pivotal connectors, and includes manual adjustment means to allow a user to increase or decrease the amount of tensile force applied by the second linkage member. In use the load carrying capacity of the support arm is manually adjustable without the need for any external tooling or disassembly of the support arm assembly.

Description

WO 2012/167311 PCT/AU2012/000649 1 ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT ARM Pield of the Invention This invention relates to an adjustable support arm that is a component of an articulated support assembly for supporting a variety of object types, such as a flat screen display panel. 10 Background of the invention Flat panel computer monitor screens .are common place in many homes and offices today. They offer significant advantages over the cathode ray tube (CRT) style monitors that preceded them, especially in respect of their display size and the fact 15 that they take up less space. This is important because modem workspaces are typically small in area, and people are looking for ways to efficiently use the space they have to maximise the area of their work space. One of the ways this is achieved is to support flat screen computer monitors on 20 articulated support assemblies that can be anchored to a wall or to a panel of the work desk in the vicinity of the work area. This removes the need to use a monitor support stand that would otherwise sit on the desk, and take up valuable work area on the desktop. 25 Articulated monitor arms provide a secure attachment between the flat screen monitor and the desk surface while allowing the user to easily reposition the flat screen monitor as required to improve ergonomics, reduce screen glare, share their screen with others or make room for other tasks. A key feature of these arms is the ability to move the monitorr with 6 degrees of freedom, simply by moving the monitor screen. 30 Movements include xy,z positioning; vertical, horizontal adjustment of viewing angle and rotation of screen format (landscape to portrait and minor adjustment either WO 2012/167311 PCT/AU2012/000649 2 side of these positions). While the technology for enabling the required degrees of nnveeanut is reasonably well established, the meohanisa that provide movenient against the weight of the screen require critical adjustment to calibrate the action of the support arm to the match the weight of the flat screen monitor. 5 Typically, these adjustments require the use of a hand tool, such as an allen key or screwdriver. This has the disadvantage of requiring that these tools be 'on hand' at the time of installation, and for being less convenient because a user cannot simply or easily adjust the load bearing capability of a support arm assembly without the use of 10 an external tool. These tools can become lost, or the person in charge of the tool, such as an IT support person, may be unavailable at the time they are required. Also different support assemblies may require different tools, thereby requiring the need to store a wide assortment of different types of adjustment tools in readiness j5 should they need to be used. In some types of support assemblies currently available, it is a requirement that at least partial disassembly of the support arm is required to make adjustments to the load bearing setting of the support arm. In installations where hundreds or even 20 thousands of screens are to be installed, the need to undertake any disassembly of the support arm in order to adjust its load bearing setting increases the time required to perform each installation. Also it is common over time for devices such as flat panels to be replaced. The 25 subsequent device is likely to have a different weight to the one being replaced. In such cases it is less convenient to require an external tool to make any fine adjustment to the load bearing setting of the support arm. It is far more convenient to be able to directly manipulate the adjustment directly on the support arm without having to use an external tool. 30 It is an object of the present invention to ameliorate at least some of the abovementioned problems by providing an adjustable support arm that requires no WO 2012/167311 PCT/AU2012/000649 3 extomal tools to adjust, or rcquita nu didssembly of the support arm to access the adjustment means. Disclosure of the invention 5 The present invention Is an adjustable support arm for an articulated support assembly for an object such as a flat screen monitor that includes: - an elongate body, - a first pivotal connector, 10 - a second pivotal connector, - adjustment means, - a first linkage member, and - a second linkage member, wherein the first pivotal connector is located at a first end of the elongate body and is interconnects the adjustable support arm to its adjacent component in the articulated support assembly. The first pivotal connector permits the adjustable support arm to swing about the pivot point. The second pivotal connector is located at the opposite end of the elongate body, and interconnects the adjustable support arm with its adjacent component in the articulated support assembly. The second pivotal 20 connector permits the adjacent component to swing about the pivot point. The first and second linkage members interconnect the first and second pivotal connectors. The second linkage member includes adjustable biasing means that impose a tensile force between the first and second pivotal connectors. Adjustment means is carried on the support assembly that enable a user to increase or decrease the amount of 25 tensile force applied by the biasing means without the use of any additional tools. This arrangement thereby enables the articulated support assembly to be manually reconfigurable so that it can support the load imposed upon it by the weight of the particular object connected. 30 The second linkage member is an assembly that includes: - a housing, - a spring, WO 2012/167311 PCT/AU2012/000649 4 - a rotatable shaft, - adjustment mean, and - a movable plate, wherein the rotatable shaft has a first and second end. The first end of the shaft is s connected to the first pivotal connector, and the housing has a first and second end, and the first end of the housing includes an aperture through which the rotatable shaft extends into the housing. The second end of the housing is connected to the second pivotal support arm connector. The spring has a first and second end, and is contained within the housing such that the first end of the spring abuts against the first 1o end of the housing. The shaft has an external thread at least partway along its length, and the movable plate is configured so that it is able to move upon the thread in the longitudinal direction of the shaft when the shaft is turned via the adjustment means. The second end of the spring abuts against the movable plate so that when the adjustment means is operated in one direction, the movable plate moves towards the 15 first end of the housing and thereby compresses the spring against the abutment in the housing, and when the adjustment means is operated in the opposite direction, the movable plate moves away from the first end of the housing and thereby decompresses the spring against the abutment in the housing. 20 Preferably the adjustment means is located in a convenient location on at least one side of the elongate body. Preferably the adjustment means is externally located so that it can be operated by a user without any need to disassemble the support arm. 25 Preferably the adjustment means is a thumb turn. Optionally the shaft extends through the first pivotal connector and terminates at manual adjustment means that is external to the first pivotal connector, such that a 30 user can rotate the shaft directly by rotating the adjustment means, thereby allowing a user to adjust the tensile force of the second linkage member.

WO 2012/167311 PCT/AU2012/000649 5 Preferably the eradiintment mnenna located at the ond of th. sha is a amLIuW, Lm. Optionally at least the adjustment means located at the end of the shaft includes a recess that can accommodate a corresponding end of a tool bit that is used in 5 conjunction with a powered hand tool such as a cordless drill. In order that the invention can be better understood it will now be described non limitingly by reference to preferred embodiments as shown in the attached Figures, 10 Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is an isometric view of the adjustable support arm in accordance with the present invention, with a section of the elongate body cut away to reveal the inner 15 workings of the adjustment means. Figure 2 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of the adjustable support arm in accordance with the present invention, with a section of the elongate body cut away to reveal the inner workings of the adjustment means. 20 Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments The various elements identified by numerals in the drawings are listed in the following integer list. 25 Integer List 1 Adjustable support arm 3 First pivotal connector 30 5 Second pivotal connector 7 First connection means 9 Second connection means WO 2012/167311 PCT/AU2012/000649 6 11 First linkage arm 13 Second linkage assembly housing 15 Aperture 17 Shaft 5 19 Spring 21 Movable plate 23 Thumb turn 25 Elongate body 27 Recess 10 Turning firstly to Figure 1, we can see an adjustable support arm 1 that is used as a link in a series of components that make up an articulated flat panel support assembly. The adjustable support arm 1 includes an elongate body 25 that has a first pivotal connector 3 at its first end, and a second pivotal connector 5 at is second end. The is first pivotal connector 3 has first connection means 7 that enable it to be connected to its adjacent component in the articulated flat panel monitor support assembly. The second pivotal connector means 5 has second connection means 9 that enable it to connect to the monitor connector means (not shown). 20 The adjustable support arm I also includes a first linkage arm II that connects to the first and second pivotal connectors 3 and 5. A second linkage assembly connects the first and second pivotal assemblies 3 and 5. The linkage assembly imparts a tensile force to provide a lifting force sufficient to 25 counter the downward force applied to the second pivotal connector 5 by the weight of the object being supported by the support assembly. The second linkage assembly comprises a housing 13, and an externally threaded shaft 17. The first end of the housing 13 has an aperture 15 (best shown in Figure 2) 30 through which a portion of the shaft 17 extends into the interior of the housing 13. There is a movable plate 21 that is configured to interengage with the external thread of the shaft 17 so that when the shaft is turned one way, the plate moves towards the WO 2012/167311 PCT/AU2012/000649 7 first end of the housing, and when the shaft is turned in the opposite direction, the plate moves away from the first end of tho housing. A coil spring 19 is luutcd within the housing 13, and surrounds the shaft 17. The first end of the spring abuts against the first end of the housing 13, and the second end of the spring abuts against the plate 5 21, so that when the plate is moved by turning the shaf, depending on the direction of the turning of the shaft, the plate will either compress or decompress the spring against the first end of the housing. The shaft 17 is rotated by adjustment means 23 which is coupled to the shaft 17 by a 10 system of gears. The adjustment means 23 protrudes sufficiently out from the side of the elongate body to allow it to be tumed by an operator without the need for any disassembly of the adjustable support arm. Optionally there is a recess 27 formed in the adjustment means 23 that allows the 15 optional use of an external power tool such as a cordless drill. This gives the operator the flexibility if using a cordless drill or the like to take up the bulk of the slack in the spring, and then allows the user to manually manipulate the adjustment means to make finer adjustments to the support arm. 20 Turning to Figure 2, the shaft 17 extends through the first pivotal connector means 3 and adjustment means 23 is directly coupled to the shaft 17. This does away with the need for internal gearing and thereby creates a simpler and cheaper design. The manual adjustment means located at the end of the shaft also has a recess for use with an external tool such as a cordless drill. 25 Different devices with different weights can be attached to the support assembly, and the adjustable support arm can be adjusted to counter the downward force applied by the weight to the first connector means either by way of turning either the thumb turn 23, or by using a power tool such as a cordless drill. 30 Some of the advantages of this invention are that there is an option to easily adjust the load bearing capability of the support arm to cater for various objects such as various WO 2012/167311 PCT/AU2012/000649 8 flat panel monitor screens, by providing means to adjust the load bearing capability directly on the arm Itself, without the need to use an external tool. Optionally external tools can also be used if convenient. Furthermore, since the manual adjustment means located externally, no disassembly of the support arm is necessary 5 to make adjustments to the support arm's load bearing capacity. Whilst the above description includes preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that many variations, alterations, modifications and/or additions may be introduced into the constructions and arrangements of parts previously described 10 without departing from the essential features or the spirit or ambit of the invention.

Claims

1. An adjustable support arm for an articulated support assembly for an object such as a flat screen monitor including: 5 - an elongate body, - first pivotal connector, - second pivotal connector, - adjustment means, - a first linkage member, and 10 - a second linkage member, wherein the first pivotal connector iq located at a firt end of the elongate body and interconnects the adjustable support arm to its adjacent component in the articulated support assembly, and permits the adjustable support arm to swing about the pivot point of the first pivotal connector, and the second pivotal Is connector is located at the opposite end of the elongate body, and interconnects the adjustable support arm with its adjacent component in the articulated support assembly, and permits the adjacent component to swing about the pivot point of the second pivotal connector, and wherein the first and second linkage members interconnect the first and second pivotal connectors, and the said second linkage 20 member includes adjustable biasing means that impose a tensile force between the first and second pivotal connectors, and includes adjustment means that is carried on the support assembly that enable a user to increase or decrease the amount of tensile force applied by the biasing means without the use of any additional tools, and thereby enables the articulated support assembly to be reconfigurable so that it 25 can support the load imposed upon it by the weight of the particular object connected.

2. The adjustable support arm as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second linkage member is an assembly that includes; 30 - a housing, - a spring, - a rotatable shaft, WO 2012/167311 PCT/AU2012/000649 10 - adjustment means, and - a movable plate, wherein the rotatable shaft has a first and second end, and the first end is orncoted to tho first pivotal connector, and the housing ha a fht nuI stecond 5 end, and the first end of the housing includes an aperture through which the rotatable shaft extends into the housing, and the second end of the housing is connected to the second pivotal support arm connector, and the spring has a first and second end, and is contained within the housing such that the first end of the spring abuts against the first end of the housing, the said shaft having an external to thrad, and the movable plate is configured so that it is able to move upon the thread in the longitudinal direction of the shaft when the shaft is turned via the adjustment means, and the second end of the spring abuts against the movable plate so that when the adjustment means is operated in one direction, the movable plate moves towards the first end of the housing and thereby compresses the is spring against the abutment in the housing, and when the adjustment means is operated in the opposite direction, the movable plate moves away from the first end of the housing and thereby decompresses the spring against the abutment in the housing. 20

3. The adjustable support arm as claimed in claim 2 wherein the adjustment means is located in a convenient location on at least one side of the elongate body.

4. The adjustable support arm as claimed in claim 3 wherein the adjustment means is externally located so that it can be operated by a user without any need to 25 disassemble the support arm.

5. The adjustable support arm as claimed in claim 4 wherein the adjustment means Is a thumb turn. 30

6. The adjustable support arm as claimed in claims 2 or 4 wherein the shaft extends through the first pivotal connector and terminates at manual adjustment means that is external to the first pivotal connector, such that a user can rotate the shaft WO 2012/167311 PCT/AU2012/000649 II directly by rotating the adjustment means, thereby allowing a user to adjust the tensile force of the second linkage member.

7. The adjustable support arm as claimed in claim 6 wherein the adjustment means s located at the end of the shaft is a thumb turn.

8. The adjustable support arm as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least the adjustment means located at the end of the shaft includes a recess that can accommodate a corresponding end of a tool bit that is used in conjunction with a powered hand 10 tool such as a cordless drill.