GB2471370A

GB2471370A - A vertically adjustable monitor arm

Info

Publication number: GB2471370A
Application number: GB1009677A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matthew Thomas Cramsie
Original assignee: Thinking Ergonomix Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Thinking Ergonomix Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2009-06-22
Filing date: 2010-06-10
Publication date: 2010-12-29
Also published as: AU2017100033A4; NZ585943A; AU2010202202B2; CN101929594A; CN101929594B; AU2010202202A1; GB201009677D0

Abstract

A post to support an object such as a monitor. The post includes a post 12 which supports an arm assembly (13, Figure 1). The post is elongate and has a slot providing access to a cavity 15. Inside the cavity is a rack gear 18 or a pair of rack gears 18 which are intended to engage with a pawl 26. The pawl is either attached to an external collar 21 or an internal carriage (44, Figure 10) which can be altered in height by a user by disengaging the pawl 25 from the rack 18. The arm is intended to provide for angular movement of the monitor about three generally upright axes (48, 15, 16, Figure 1) as well as generally horizontal axis (17, Figure 10). The arm can also provide for height adjustment of the arm assembly (13) along the post 12, that is a generally vertical adjustment.

Description

I

A MONITOR ARM

Technical Field

The present invention relates to support assemblies and more particularly but not exclusively to monitor arms that are to support a monitor screens.

Background of the Invention

Frequently monitors are mounted on an arm so that the position of the monitor can be adjusted relative to the person viewing the screen. The monitor is movable angularly as well as vertically. Typically the monitor would be movable about at least one upright axis (and possibly two) as well as movable about a generally horizontal axis.

Current monitor arms frequently do not hold the monitor in the desired position and/or are complex and therefore difficult and expensive to manufacture. A further disadvantage is that the monitor arms are prone to failure.

Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages.

Summary of the Invention

There is disclosed herein a post to support an item, said post including: an elongated body, the body having a longitudinally extending cavity and a longitudinally extending slot providing access to the cavity; at least one rack gear extending longitudinally of the body and located within said cavity; and a collar surrounding the body and operatively associated with the rack gear to selectively engage the rack gear to retain the collar at a desired position along the body, said collar including a pawl urged into contact with the gear but movable by an operator from engagement with the gear to provide for movement of the collar along the post.

Preferably, said slot is located between a pair of longitudinally extending flanges, and said gear is a first gear, and said post includes a second gear, the gears being located on opposite sides of the slot and both being located internally of said cavity, and said pawl engages both gears to retain the collar in a desired position.

Preferably, the collar includes a shaft extending from the pawl, and a spring surrounding the shaft urging the pawl into engagement with the teeth.

Preferably, the post includes a user engagable member fixed to the shaft and depressed to compress the spring to move the pawl from engagement with each gear.

There is further disclosed herein a post to support an item, said post including: an elongated body, the body having a longitudinally extending cavity and a longitudinally extending slot providing access to the cavity; at least one rack gear extending longitudinally of the body and located within the cavity; io a carriage located in the body and movable longitudinally thereof and exposed to said slot to provide for mounting of an item on said carriage; and a lever mounted on said carriage and including a pawl to engage said gear, with the lever being operable to disengage the pawl from the gear to provide for movement of the carriage longitudinally of the body to provide for adjustment of the item relative to the is post.

Preferably, said lever is urged so that the pawl is urged into engagement with the rack.

Preferably, the lever is urged by means of a spring under compression.

Preferably, there are two rack gears, each located on opposite sides of said lever.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic side elevation of a monitor arm and a monitor supported thereby; Figure 2 is a schematic front elevation of the arm and monitor of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic top plan view of the arm and monitor of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a schematic isometric view of the arm and monitor of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an enlarged side elevation of the arm and monitor of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the arm of Figure 5 section along the lines 6-6; Figure 7 is an enlarged top plan view of the monitor and arm of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a schematic sectioned side elevation of the monitor and ann of Figure 7 sectioned along the line 8-8; Figure 9 is a schematic sectioned enlarged view of portion of Figure 6; Figure 10 is a schematic parts sectioned isometric view of the monitor arm of Figure 1; Figure 11 is a schematic parts sectioned isometric view of portion of the arm as shown in Figure 10.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted an arm 10 that io supports a monitor 11. The arm 10 includes a post 12 which supports and arm assembly 13. The arm 10 provides for angular movement of the monitor 11 about three generally upright axes 48, 15 and 16 as well as a generally horizontal axis 17. The arm 10 also provides for height adjustment of the arm assembly 13 along the post 12, that is a generally vertical adjustment.

The post 12 includes a hollow upright elongated body 14 that is provided with a longitudinally extending cavity 15. A pair of longitudinally extending spaced flanges 16 provide a longitudinally extending slot 17 providing access to the cavity 15.

Supported internally on each of the flanges 16 are rack gears 18, each gear 18 having a plurality of teeth 19. Each one of the teeth 19 having a generally horizontal tooth platform 20 that is upwardly facing.

Slidably mounted on the body 14 is a first collar 21, the collar 21 having an annular portion 22 that generally surrounds the body 14 and slides therealong. The collar 21 also includes a hollow generally cylindrical projection 23 having a passage 24.

Slidably mounted in the passage 24 is a shaft 25 having at its inner end a pawl 26, the pawl 26 having teeth configured to engage the teeth 19 and more particularly has a generally horizontal platform that engages a platform 20 of one or more of a number of teeth. In this respect it should be appreciated the pawl 26 engages both gears 18.

The shaft 25 projects through the slots 17 and has at its outer extremity a "button" 27 that is engaged by a user. Compressed between the base 28 of the projection 23 and the button 27 is a spring 29 that urges the button 27 and shaft 25 in the direction of the arrow 30. Accordingly the paw! 26 is urged by the spring 29 into engagement with the teeth 19.

When the button 27 is depressed by being moved in the opposite direction to the direction 30, the pawl 26 is disengaged from the teeth 19 thereby providing for adjustment of the collar 21 longitudinally of the post 12.

Abutting the collar 21 is a second collar 31, The second collar 31 is part of the arm assembly 13. Formed integral with or attached to the collar 31 is a first arm part 32 that extends generally normal to the post 12. The outer extremity of the part 32 is provided with a pivot assembly 33 that provides for angular movement about the axis 15.

Attached to the pivot assembly 33 is a second arm part 34. Attached to the end extremity of the part 34 is a further pivot assembly 35. The pivot assembly 35 provides for angular movement about the axis 16.

Formed integral with or fixed to the pivot assembly 35 is a further pivot 36, the pivot 36 providing for angular movement about the axis 17. Secured to the pivot is assembly 36 is a bracket 37 fixed to a post 38. The post 38 directly supports the monitor 11 and includes an elongated hollow body 39. Located internally of the hollow body 39 is a pair of rack gears 40 that extends longitudinally of the body 39 and that are provided with a plurality of teeth 41. Mounted internally of the body 39 is an arm 42 that acts as a pawl and includes teeth 43 that engage the teeth 41 to retain the monitor 11 at a desired position relative to the post 38.

The arm 42 has an upper end pivotally supported by a carriage 44. The carriage 44 is movably mounted in the body 39 for linear movement in a generally vertical direction. More particularly the arm 42 is mounted for angular movement about the axis which is generally parallel to the axis 17 and generally normal to the axes 14, 15 and 16. The arm 42 is urged to move angularly in the direction 45 by means of a spring 46 so that the teeth 43 are urged into engagement with the teeth 41.

When a user wishes to adjust the height of the monitor relative to the post 38, the lever 42 is moved angularly in the opposite direction to the direction 45 removing the teeth 43 from engagement with the teeth 41. Thereafter the carriage 44 and the monitor supported thereby is movable vertically relative to the post 38.

Mounted internally of the post 38 is a constant force spring 48 to aid in supporting the monitor 11 The constant force spring 48 is a strip of spring steel that has an upper linear portion 49 fixed to the body 39 by means of a pin 51. The linear portion 49 extends to a coiled portion 50. The spring 48 is urged to coil to form the portion 50 to thereby provide what is a reasonably constant force to aid in retaining the monitor in position.

As best seen in Figures 5 and 10, the lever 42 projects through a lower aperture 46 in the post 38, while the monitor 11 is attached to the carriage 44 by means of a coupling 47.

Claims

The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1. A post to support an item, said post including: an elongated body, the body having a longitudinally extending cavity and a longitudinally extending slot providing access to the cavity; at least one rack gear extending longitudinally of the body and located within said cavity; and a collar surrounding the body and operatively associated with the rack gear to selectively engage the rack gear to retain the collar at a desired position along the body, said collar including a pawl urged into contact with the gear but movable by an operator io from engagement with the gear to provide for movement of the collar along the post.
2. The post of claim 1, wherein said slot is located between a pair of longitudinally extending flanges, and said gear is a first gear, and said post includes a second gear, the gears being located on opposite sides of the slot and both being located internally of said cavity, and said pawl engages both gears to retain the collar in a desired is position.
3. The post of claim 1 or 2, wherein the collar includes a shaft extending from the p awl, and a spring surrounding the shaft urging the pawl into engagement with the teeth.
4. The post of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the post includes a user engagable member fixed to the shaft and depressed to compress the spring to move the pawl from engagement with each gear.
5. A post to support an item, said post including: an elongated body, the body having a longitudinally extending cavity and a longitudinally extending slot providing access to the cavity; at least one rack gear extending longitudinally of the body and located within the cavity; a carriage located in the body and movable longitudinally thereof and exposed to said slot to provide for mounting of an item on said carriage; and a lever mounted on said carriage and including a pawl to engage said gear, with the lever being operable to disengage the pawl from the gear to provide for movement of the carriage longitudinally of the body to provide for adjustment of the item relative to the post.
6. The post of claim 5, wherein said lever is urged so that the pawl is urged into engagement with the rack.
7. The post of claim 6, wherein the lever is urged by means of a spring under compression.
8. The post of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein there are two rack gears, io each located on opposite sides of said lever.
9. A monitor arm having the post of any one of claims ito 8.
10. A monitor arm substantiates hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.