EP0988814A1

EP0988814A1 - Height-adjustable leg for supporting a table top or a like object

Info

Publication number: EP0988814A1
Application number: EP99202493A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Willem Steenstra
Original assignee: Koninklijke Ahrend NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Ahrend NV
Priority date: 1998-09-22
Filing date: 1999-07-30
Publication date: 2000-03-29
Anticipated expiration: 2019-07-30
Also published as: NL1010147C2; DE69909203D1; EP0988814B1; DE69909203T2

Abstract

Height-adjustable leg (1) such as for supporting a table top. The leg comprises two telescopically slidable leg portions (2, 3). A knob housing (5) is fixed on the inner surface (4) of the outer leg portion (2), said housing having a knob (6) therein which is pressed into an aperture (10) in the outer leg portion by a spring (9), in such a way that the outer surfaces (11, 12) of the knob and the leg portion (2) coincide. The knob (6) bears a pin (7) having a larger head being located outside the knob housing (5) and being pressed against the knob housing (5) by said spring (9). The head can be located in recesses (16) arranged in the edges (15) of a slot (14) extending in a partition (13) in the inner leg portion (3). When pushing the knob (6), the head (8) will end up beyond the recesses (16) and the leg portions can be slid in relation to each other.

Description

The invention relates to a height-adjustable leg for supporting a table top or a like object, said leg comprising two telescopically slidable leg portions and means for locking them in relation to each other.
Such legs are known in many embodiments. For example, a screwed rod mounted in the interior of the leg is employed, which causes the leg portions to slide in relation to each other when rotating. However, operating means protruding outwards, thus being visible, are necessary there. Possibly, an electric motor mounted in the leg could be employed for rotating the screwed rod so that only electric wires extend outward from said leg. Then, means providing for that the legs of a table can be moved across an equal distance must be present. Thus, a continuously variable adjustment of the legs can be obtained. However, in many cases, this is unnecessary and naturally such a system involves considerable costs.
The object of the invention is to provide a height-adjustable leg being of simple construction and its operating means being hardly visible from the outside so that an esthetical entity is obtained.
According to the invention, this is achieved in that a knob housing is fixed on the inner surface of the outer leg portion, which housing accommodates a knob which is pressed out through an aperture in the outer leg portion by a spring, in such a way that the outer surface of the knob coincides with the outer surface of the leg portion, said knob being connected to a pin provided with a head having a larger diameter located outside the knob housing, said head being pressed against the knob housing by said spring and being located in a recess, a number of said recesses being arranged in a row extending in longitudinal direction of said leg, in the opposite edges of a slot being located in a partition in the interior of the inner leg portion, through which slot the pin can pass when the knob is pressed inwards so that the head of the pin will end up beyond the recesses and the leg portions can be slid in relation to each other.
Thus, only the knob is visible from the outside, although it is in one plane with the outer surface of the outer leg portion so that it does not disturb the esthetic appearance of the leg.
It will be obvious that a slot must be provided in the wall of the inner leg portion in order to be able to pass the knob housing. However, said slot and the knob in the outer leg portion can be positioned such, that the slot in the inner leg portion, will not be visible in the positions of the leg portions in relation to each other.
The knob housing can be fixed on the inner surface of the outer leg portion. However, in particular this will be done by bonding. Due to this, the exterior surface of the leg portion is not adversely affected.
Preferably, both leg portions will be manufactured by extrusion pressing, such as from aluminium or a like material, for example.
Then, an interior wall in the inner leg portion can be obtained in a simple way. In this wall, the slot having the recesses can be mounted in particular after removing a part of the outer wall of the leg portion.
In order to enable a smooth sliding movement of the leg portions in relation to each other, there will be a small clearance between the walls of the leg portions and a number of spaced apart sliding blocks of plastic, bridging the clearance, will be mounted on the outer walls of the inner leg portion.
As a result of this, only the plastic sliding blocks will be in engagement with the inner wall of the outer leg portion and both leg portions will be able to slide easily in relation to each other.
The invention is explained further by way of an embodiment, shown in the drawing, in which:
Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section across a part of a leg according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 shows a cross-section across the leg according to the line II - II of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale; and
Fig. 3 shows a side via of the inner leg portion as seen in the direction of the arrow III of Fig. 1.
Fig. 1 shows part of a leg 1 consisting of the outer leg portion 2 and the inner leg portion 3.
A knob housing 5 is fixed on the inner surface 4 of the outer leg portion 2 by means of bonding. The knob 6 being connected to a pin 7 being provided with a head 8 is located within the knob housing 5. The head 8 is pressed against the knob housing 5 by means of a spring 9. There, the knob 6 is located in an aperture 10 in the wall of the leg portion 2 and the outer surface 11 of the knob 6 will be in one plane with the outer surface 12 of the leg portion 2.
In the inner leg portion 3, there is a partition 13 which is connected to the walls of said leg portion 3 by means of parts not further indicated. A slot 14 having its edges provided with recesses 16 is arranged in said partition 13. The head 8 connected to the knob 6 can be received in two recesses 16 opposite each other. When the knob 6 is pushed sufficiently, the head 8 can be brought beyond the recesses 16 and the inner leg portion 3 can be slid in relation to the outer leg portion 2 since the pin 7 connected to the knob 6 can move through the slot 14 and into the partition 13. When the desired position of the leg portions 2 and 3 in relation to each other is reached, the knob 6 can be released and the head 8 will fall into certain recesses. The leg portions 2 and 3 will then be locked in relation to each other.
In order to enable sliding movement of the leg portions 2 and 3 in relation to each other, a slot 18 is provided in the wall 17 of the inner leg portion 3 so that said leg portion 3 can pass in the knob housing 5. Fig. 1 illustrates the position in which the leg portions have been slid apart across the greatest distance. As it appears, in any position of the leg portions 2 and 3, the slot 18 in the leg portion 3 will be situated within the leg portion 2 thus will not be visible.
Obviously, the shape of the cross-section of the leg portions 2 and 3 can be changed. In order to enable a smooth sliding movement of the portions in relation to each other, a number of plastic sliding blocks 20 bridging the clearance between both portions 2 and 3 have been mounted on the outer surface 19 of the inner leg portion 3. Owing to this, the portions 2 and 3 will not be able to perform any transverse movement in relation to each other.
The upper end of the leg portion 2 will, in a way not described further, be provided with means for securing it to a table top or a like object. The lower end of the leg portion 3 can be provided with a closing member 21 so that the leg can be slid easily.
It will be obvious, that only one possible embodiment of an adjustable leg according to the invention has been illustrated in the drawing and described above and that many changes can be made without leaving the inventive idea, as it has been indicated in the appended claims.

Claims

Height-adjustable leg (1) for supporting a table top or a like object, said leg comprising two telescopically slidable leg portions (2, 3) and means for locking them in relation to each other, characterized in that a knob housing (5) is fixed on the inner surface (4) of the outer leg portion (2), which housing accommodates a knob (6) which is pressed out through an aperture (10) in the outer leg portion (2) by means of a spring (9), in such a way that the outer surface (11) of the knob (6) coincides with the outer surface (12) of the leg portion (2), said knob (6) being connected to a pin (7) provided with a head (8) having a larger diameter located outside the knob housing (5), said head (8) being pressed against the knob housing (5) by said spring (9) and being located in a recess (16), a number of said recesses being arranged in a row extending in longitudinal direction of said leg, in the opposite edges (15) of a slot (14) being located in a partition (13) in the interior of the inner leg portion (3), through which slot (14) the pin (7) can pass when the knob (6) is pressed inwards so that the head (8) of the pin (7) will end up beyond the recesses (16) and the leg portions (2, 3) can be slid in relation to each other.
Leg according to claim 1, characterized in that a slot (18) is provided in the wall (17) of the inner leg portion (3), said slot (18) and knob (6) in the outer leg (2) being positioned in such a way, that the slot (18) will not be visible in any position of the leg portions (2, 3) in relation to each other.
Leg according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the knob housing (5) is fixed on the inner surface (4) of the outer leg portion (2) by means of bonding.
Leg according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that both leg portions (2, 3) are produced by extrusion pressing, such as from aluminium or a like material, for example.
Leg according to claim 4, characterized in that there will be a small clearance between the walls of the leg portions (2, 3) and that a number of spaced apart sliding blocks (20) of plastic, bridging said clearance, have been mounted on the outer walls (19) of the inner leg portion (3).