Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47B—TABLES; DESKS; OFFICE FURNITURE; CABINETS; DRAWERS; GENERAL DETAILS OF FURNITURE
  • A47B91/00—Feet for furniture in general
  • A47B91/02—Adjustable feet

Definitions

• This invention relates to a device for adjusting the effective length of a leg of a multi-legged table and particularly a four-or-more legged table; but is also applicable to other articles of furniture such as beds, chairs and the like.
• Cam mechanisms have been provided which are actuatable with the foot thereby to raise or lower a leg but the perfect position may be lost due to slight movement of the table or of the mechanism.
• each leg is telescoping, the inner tubes having keyways and snap locking arrangement in the bottom end of each tube.
• a dowel pin is provided that is releasable by depressing, sliding the outer tube and snapping the dowel pin into a hole when the length is correct.
• a foot-adjustable leveller has a threaded bolt for upward insertion into the end of a leg.
• a foot is formed at the base with a disc that can be rotated by foot to raise or lower the bolt with resulting adjustment of the device.
• a device which has an upper and lower members connected for relative rotation and each having a ramp in opposing senses so that rotation causes the ramps to move over each other to cause raising or lowering of the leg due to the corresponding expansion or contraction of the upper and lower members.
• the friction between the ramps is beneficial in maintaining a sort of permanency but it does not provide the permanency to which the present invention is directed. Nor does it provide the ease of operation and the simple arrangement of the present invention.
• a modification of the latter invention is the provision of hydraulic or pneumatic means to be located between the upper and the lower members so that a degree of automatic adjustment is possible but the hydraulic or pneumatic means tends to be overcome by changes in the pressure being applied to the table.
• a device for adjusting the effective length of a leg of a table or other article of furniture includes an upper and a lower member that are relatively rotatable and are biased apart by spring means, the upper member being associated with a first ramp or ramps that are directed downwards to constitute a wall or walls spaced apart from a second ratchet ramp/s associated with the lower member, the upper member including one or more pawls adapted to run in the channel between the ramps, the pawl/s including a formation adapted to engage the ratchet when the desired effective length of the leg plus device has been adjusted.
• the pawl/s may include a first smooth or curved zone to provide minimum friction with the first ramp and a pointed zone for engagement with the ratchet.
• the pawl/s may be located on the inside of the upper member and may be integrally moulded therewith.
• the device includes an intermediate member that includes the first ramp/s, and that is non-rotatable with the lower member.
• two or more corresponding ramps are provided on each of the members and in a specific example three identical and connecting ramps are provided in series on each member in the configuration of saw teeth if laid flat, as will be explained in more detail below. Gaps or passageways are provided to permit the pawls to pass ' ititd the series of channels during assembly.
• Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a device according to the invention
• Figure 2 is an angled under view of the partly assembled device
• Figure 3 is an angled side view of Figure 2
• Figure 4 is a sectional side view of the device
• Figure 5 is a simulated laid out flat view of the series of channels between the ramps.
• the device of the embodiment includes an upper member 10, a lower member 12 and an intermediate member 14.
• the upper member has a larger inside diameter than the intermediate and the lower members and is able to be rotated by virtue of the knurls 6. ⁇
• the intermediate member has a hollow annulus 18 that receives the lower portion of a spring 20 that is accommodated in the upper member as shown in Figure 4.
• a series of ramps 22 depend downwardly from the intermediate member and reference is directed to Figure 5 in this respect.
• the lower member also has a series of ramps 24 that are ratcheted, and reference is again directed to Figure 5.
• Pawls 25 extend through the openings 26 in the intermediate member so that the pawls can be located in the channels defined between the ramps 22 of the upper member and 24 of the lower member.
• the assembled device is secured into a formation 28 associated with a leg of a table by means of a bolt element 30, and the members are joined by means of a nut-and-bolt (not shown) or other means of joining. It will be appreciated that only one leg of a four-legged table or other furniture need to be adjusted and it will also be appreciated that dummy devices may be provided for the other three legs for aesthetic purposes.
• the mass of the table as exerted through the formation 24 thereby causing the pawls to rise out of the ratchet and to travel along the ramps 22 of the upper member until the base of the lower portion contacts the floor when the pawls will fall into the respective ratchet. If the situation involves a raised irregularity of the floor and pawls will be released from the ratchets and move along the ramps 22 to the position of rest of the device.
• the upper member may be rotated to secure the same position.
• the ramps are laid out flat for descriptive purposes. If the upper member is rotated the pawl shown will first move from the position 30 to a position 32 and thence will fall into the lowermost position in the next channel 34.

Landscapes

• Legs For Furniture In General (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=46672981

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Families Citing this family (3)

Family Cites Families (14)

• 2012
  • 2012-02-16 US US14/000,126 patent/US20140001320A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-02-16 CA CA2827667A patent/CA2827667C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-02-16 BR BR112013021031A patent/BR112013021031A2/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2012-02-16 CN CN201280010468.8A patent/CN103402398B/zh not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2012-02-16 WO PCT/ZA2012/000008 patent/WO2012112996A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2012-02-16 AU AU2012219281A patent/AU2012219281A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2012-02-16 EP EP12747683.6A patent/EP2675322A4/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2013
  • 2013-08-16 CL CL2013002375A patent/CL2013002375A1/es unknown

Non-Patent Citations (2)

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