WO2004097269A2 - Tables de travail multi-positions - Google Patents

Tables de travail multi-positions Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2004097269A2
WO2004097269A2 PCT/US2004/012957 US2004012957W WO2004097269A2 WO 2004097269 A2 WO2004097269 A2 WO 2004097269A2 US 2004012957 W US2004012957 W US 2004012957W WO 2004097269 A2 WO2004097269 A2 WO 2004097269A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
tabletop
cylinder
linkage
piston
level
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Application number
PCT/US2004/012957
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English (en)
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WO2004097269A3 (fr
Inventor
Stephen C. Swain
Original Assignee
Swain Stephen C
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Swain Stephen C filed Critical Swain Stephen C
Priority to US10/552,828 priority Critical patent/US20070266912A1/en
Publication of WO2004097269A2 publication Critical patent/WO2004097269A2/fr
Publication of WO2004097269A3 publication Critical patent/WO2004097269A3/fr

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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
    • A47B9/00—Tables with tops of variable height
    • A47B9/02—Tables with tops of variable height with balancing device, e.g. by springs, by weight

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to tables in the furniture field and, more specifically, to ergonomically designed office and industrial work stations.
  • the invention provides height adjustable multiple- position worktable levels producing ergonomic benefits to workers of various size while they are performing various work tasks. Research has shown that adapting a work station to the reach and viewing needs of a worker increases productivity and reduces the occurrence of injury.
  • the preferred embodiments of the invention are extremely economical to manufacture and readily operated by the user to achieve prompt and efficient movement of the tabletop between an infinite number of different level positions.
  • the pressure assist can be variably located to counterbalance different tabletop weights.
  • the work station provides maximum legroom for seated positions and minimum use of office space in the standing position.
  • FIGURES 1A, IB, 1C and ID are successive schematic side elevation views of the first embodiment of the invention, with the tabletops shown elevated to successively greater height levels;
  • FIGURE IE is an enlarged schematic side elevation view of the first embodiment, clearly showing the component parts of the mechanism
  • FIGURE IF is an exploded elevation view of the component parts of the first embodiment
  • FIGURES 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D are comparable successive schematic side elevation views of the second embodiment of the invention, with the tabletops shown elevated to successively greater height levels;
  • FIGURE 2E is an enlarged schematic side elevation view of the second embodiment, clearly showing its component parts;
  • FIGURE 2F is an exploded elevation view of the component parts of the second embodiment
  • FIGURES 3A, 3B, 3C, 3D, 3E and 3F are successive schematic side elevation diagrams illustrating the cooperative interaction of the human user with the first embodiment of the invention, shown in its successive raised and lowered tabletop height levels;
  • FIGURES 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E and 4F are successive schematic side elevation diagrams illustrating the cooperative interaction of the human user with the second embodiment of the invention showing its successive raised and lowered tabletop height levels;
  • FIGURES 4G, 4H, 41 and 4J are schematic side elevation diagrams of a modified version of the second embodiment .
  • FIGURES 4G and 41 show the lowest and the highest tabletop levels of this version
  • FIGURES 4H and 4J are corresponding respective lowest and highest level diagrams showing the linkage of this modified second embodiment with the tabletop removed for clarity.
  • FIGURE 5 is an enlarged schematic side elevation diagram of the mechanism of the second embodiment, showing the virtual centers of rotation of the tabletops rear rim and its upper support link, both positioned rearwardly in space behind the mechanism by a substantial distance.
  • FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 are successive schematic side elevation diagrams of the mechanism of the second embodiment, showing its component parts in its lowest, middle and highest tabletop levels.
  • FIGURES 6A, 7A and 8A are corresponding successive schematic side elevation diagrams of the second embodiment, showing the successive changes in the shapes of the two parallelograms delimited by its pivot points during its transitions between height levels,
  • FIGURE 8 is a corresponding collection of schematic side elevation views of the same device shown in the same four different positions illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4 as well as two additional positions 5 and 6.
  • These diagrams of FIGURE 8 illustrate the user's manipulation of the simple controls of the worktable to move it from its lower level in position 1 toward a mid level position shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, and thence toward an upper position shown in positions 4 and 5 and finally to return it to the lower position of FIGURES 1 and 6 ;
  • FIGURES 9A and 9B are two different views of the pressurized gas cylinder valve control cable assembly incorporated in the preferred embodiments of the present invention, FIGURE 9A being a side view of the cable assembly and FIGURE 9B being a front view of the same component;
  • FIGURE 9C is a perspective side view of a pressurized gas spring piston-cylinder assembly
  • FIGURE 9D is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a pressurized gas spring piston-cylinder assembly, a Stabilus BLOC-O-LIFT ® "gas spring";
  • FIGURES 10A, 10B, IOC and 10D are four comparison charts, showing operation characteristics of the device
  • FIGURES 11, 12, 13 and 14 illustrate a third preferred embodiment of the invention
  • FIGURE 11 is a perspective corner elevation view of this different form of the worktable in its lower position, supporting a desk top computer on its upper worktable surface;
  • FIGURE 12 is a corresponding view showing the same table at a higher worktable height above the height shown in FIGURE 11;
  • FIGURE 13 is an enlarged side perspective view of the same device in its upper position corresponding to that in FIGURE 12;
  • FIGURE 14 is a perspective bottom plan view of the third embodiment of the invention in which the pivoted linkage legs and the gas spring piston-cylinder are more clearly illustrated.
  • FIGURES 15A, 16A and 17A are successive schematic bottom plan diagrams of the elevating linkage of the third embodiment, shown respectively in the lowest, a middle and the highest positions of the tabletop height levels;
  • FIGURES 15B, 16B and 17B are successive side elevation diagrams of the movable legs and tabletop of the third embodiment, shown respectively in the lowest, a middle and the highest positions of the tabletop height levels,
  • FIGURE 18A is an enlarged bottom plan diagram of the tabletop underside portion of the elevating linkage of the third embodiment, in its highest level position shown in FIGURES 17A and 17B, with a bell crank having two equal length arms, and
  • FIGURE 18B is an enlarged bottom plan diagram similar to FIGURE 18A, showing a bell crank having arms of different length.
  • the invention comprises a method and apparatus for adjusting the height of a tabletop work surface by selecting among an infinite number of level positions .
  • the method for adjusting the tabletop work surface height is manually user operated and pressure assisted, whereby the user provides minimal effort to physically lift or push down the work surface to the desired tabletop height .
  • the invention incorporates a method and apparatus to variably locate the pressure assist device to specifically counterbalance different tabletop weights.
  • the apparatus is a unique combination of cooperating support arms and linkages that maintain the work surface in a horizontal position throughout its range of motion.
  • the unique linkage provides better strength geometry than other linkage designs and pivots about virtual centers in imaginary space to create a smaller overall form factor that takes up less space in the workplace.
  • a tabletop work surface adjusts up and down and locks in position by controlling the movement of a pressurized gas spring piston-cylinder.
  • the tabletop 20 is supported in a horizontal position throughout its range of motion by a linkage 21, a series of articulating linkage arms pivotally mounted on a column 22 upstanding from the rear of the table base 24.
  • a pressurized gas spring piston- cylinder 55 is mounted between the linkage 21 and the table base 24 (FIGURE IE) . Opening and closing a valve 48 on piston-cylinder 55 (FIGURE 9A) determines the movement of the gas piston and unlocks or locks the position of the linkage .
  • the tabletop 20 adjusts from a low (seated) work height, FIGURES 1A and 3A to a standing work height, FIGURES ID, IE and 3D, to accommodate different size individuals performing various work tasks.
  • the tabletop is adjusted manually by the user to the desired position.
  • the amount of manual effort required to move the tabletop up and down is reduced to a minimum by the gas piston-cylinder which is pressurized to counterbalance the total weight of the tabletop and the objects on the tabletop.
  • FIGURES IE and 2E shows that tabletop 20 is supported in both the first and the second preferred embodiments by a pivoted linkage 21, which itself is pivotally mounted on column 22, upstanding from base 24.
  • a gas spring piston-cylinder assembly 55 has its ends pivotally connected to column 22 and to linkage 21.
  • the pivotally connected components forming linkage 21 are very similar in both the first and the second preferred embodiments. This is confirmed by comparing the exploded views of FIGURE IF and FIGURE 2F, where the various comparable components are arrayed side by side in these two FIGURES. The pivoted interconnections of each of these linkage components with the next is clearly shown in the assembled views of FIGURES IE and 2E, and their articulated movement is shown in FIGURES 3A-3F.
  • a central member is the cantilever arm 29, shown to be U-shaped in FIGURE IF, having rear pivot point 31, joining it to column 22, and a front pivot point 32 joining arm 29 to the underside of tabletop 20 via a top plate 33.
  • a bell crank 34 is pivotally joined at a central point to the cantilever arm 29 near its front end by a pivot 36.
  • An upper link 37 has an upper end joined to a rear point of top plate 33 by a pivot 38, and a lower end pivotally joined to an upper rear end of bell crank 34 by a pivot 39.
  • a forward link 40 has a front end pivotally joined to the lower end of bell crank 34 by a pivot 41, and a rear end pivotally joined to column 22 by a pivot 42 at a point substantially below pivot 31.
  • Gas spring piston-cylinder 55 has its upper end pivotally joined by a pivot 54 to an upper bridge plate 56 having a rear end anchored to pivot 31 on column 22, and a forward end anchored to a central point on cantilever arm 29, making bridge plate 56 integral with arm 29. Piston-cylinder 55 also has its lower end pivotally joined by a pivot 53 to a bed plate 57 anchored to the lower end of column 22.
  • FIGURES 2E and 2F the same components are connected in much the same fashion in the second preferred embodiment as they are in the first preferred embodiment, and the pivoting articulation of these components of linkage 21 is shown in the six successive diagrams of FIGURES 4A through 4F, and in FIGURES 6, 7 and 8.
  • Cantilever arm 29 is V-shaped and bell crank 34 is generally triangular, but these do not change their function or cooperation.
  • control valve 48 When the gas spring piston-cylinder 55 is ideally pressurized for the total weight of the tabletop, opening the control valve 48 will allow the tabletop to " float" with minimum hand pressure up and down throughout its range of motion. Closing control valve 48 locks the pressurized gas piston in its then current extension position. The amount of gas pressure is selected to counterbalance the total table weight .
  • the preferred pressurized gas spring piston-cylinder assembly 55 employed in the preferred embodiments of the invention is the Stabilus rigid blocking BLOC-O-LIFT ® gas spring, sold by Stabilus Inc. of Gastoria, North Carolina 28052-1898.
  • BLOC-O-LIFT ® gas springs raise loads with an accurately tuned extension force and application-specific dampening while ensuring user-friendly movement sequences.
  • BLOC-O-LIFT ® gas springs can be blocked in any position, with springing or rigid blocking in the extension or compression direction depending on the design, according to the Stabilus catalog.
  • FIGURE 9D A schematic cross-sectional diagram of this device is shown in FIGURE 9D .
  • This gas piston-cylinder assembly counterbalances the weight of the table near the midpoint of its range of levels, and the rigid blocking BLOC-O-LIFT ® gas spring can be blocked in any position in its range.
  • Variable blocking is produced by the valve 48 integrated into the piston, which separates both pressure chambers gas-tight. When valve 48 is closed, blocking the gas exchange between the two pressure chambers, the BLOC-O-LIFT ® gas spring is blocked, and the table level is locked. The valve 48 closes automatically when the valve tappet is released externally.
  • FIGURES IE, 2E and 8A controls the closing of the valve
  • FIGURES 3A-3F show how the depicted user, operating the unclamping means, the release control actuator (a push button or grippable paddle lever) 26, acting through the flexible cable 50, locks the table in various positions or unlocks the gas piston-cylinder 55 for movement to and from various positions.
  • the components of a typical pressurized gas piston-cylinder 55 controlled by lever 26 are depicted in FIGURE 9D .
  • the gas springs or air spring piston-cylinder assemblies of this invention are lockable at any one of an infinite number of piston extension positions.
  • the somewhat similar gas-charged trunk lid lifters or hood lifters for automobiles move the lid or hood up slowly to its uppermost position counterbalancing its weight.
  • the user's manual closing of the trunk lid or hood adds a few extra pounds of force to the actual weight, overcoming the counterbalancing and slowly lowering the lid or hood to its lowest closed position.
  • the piston-cylinder assemblies 55 of this invention are designed to move the tabletop 20 buoyantly to a floating position, in the mid region of its raising or lowering range, when the lever 26 is actuated to unlock assembly 55. While lever 26 is actuated the user can slowly raise or lower the tabletop 20 to any selected new position by applying slight upward lifting or downward force, making its level adjustment easy by minimizing the adjustment force required.
  • Actuator 26 may be located on the underside of the tabletop at a central position under its front rim, as in FIGURE 14, but it is preferable to require both of the user's hands, by positioning lever 26 under the side rims near the front rim of the tabletop 20 or 61, as indicated in FIGURES IE, 2E, 4A-4F, 15A, 16A, 17A, 18A and 18B.
  • Levers 26 are essential to tabletop movement because engaging the control lever 26 to release the locking valve 48 requires the user's hands to be in contact with the table, gripping the front portions of both side rims.
  • the tabletop weight and the gas pressure are matched to the known use of the tabletop, i.e. as a light assembly table or as a heavier computer work station.
  • the gas spring (with a fixed pressure) can be re-positioned to exert more or less counterbalancing force to compensate for more or less tabletop weight .
  • the table weight to be counterbalanced is less than the actual table weight as the base-column structure supports a vectored component portion of the actual weight. For instance, if the table weighing 100 pounds were positioned at 45 degrees below the hinge point, fifty percent of the weight would be born by the base-column structure 22-24, presenting only half the weight to be counterbalanced by the gas pressure cylinder 55. However, as the tabletop rises to a level even with the hinge point 31 the table presents its full 100-pound weight to be counterbalanced by the gas pressure cylinder 55.
  • gas pressure cylinder counterbalancing force is not dependent on gravity - its force is directly related to its piston stroke position.
  • Gas cylinder pressures generally will have a range of force ratios of 1.4 to 1.0 - i.e., fully compressed a gas cylinder will exert 40% greater force than when its piston is fully extended.
  • the weight of the table - constantly varying by the effect of gravity and structural vectoring - is opposed by a gas cylinder pressure that diminishes constantly in a linear progression. This presents problems when the designer wishes to use the linearly diminishing gas pressure to counterbalance table weights that rise and fall in relation to the effect of gravity acting on the articulated linkage 21.
  • a table weight of 100 pounds is positioned 30 degrees below the hinge point 31 in the lowest adjusted position of the first preferred embodiment .
  • the gas pressure cylinder is fully compressed. Referring to FIGURE 10A, it can be seen that in this lowest position the tabletop 20 has one third of its weight supported by the base-column structure and the weight presented to be counterbalanced by the gas pressure cylinder is 66.6 pounds.
  • the fully compressed gas pressure cylinder has 100% of its force available to lift 67% of the table weight. Thirty degrees of travel up brings the table horizontally even with the hinge point 31 (FIGURES IB and 3A) and increases the table weight to one hundred pounds and the base-column structure contributes zero to bear weight .
  • the gas pressure cylinder has extended 40% of its stroke and depleted its force to 60% of its potential. In viewing the chart, FIGURE 10A, while the weight has increased by 34% - the gas pressure cylinder force has decreased 40%.
  • gas pressure cylinder 55 If attempting to use the gas pressure cylinder 55 as a counterbalance to neutralize the effort to move the tabletop, a different relationship of gas pressure cylinder location and table position must be realized.
  • the table is affected by its position in relation to gravity.
  • the gas cylinder is not affected by gravity - vector forces only affect the gas cylinder where force is shared with structure. It is important to use the structure to mechanically disadvantage the gas cylinder when the table weight is presented at a lower value and allow the gas cylinder to be less disadvantaged when the table weight increases .
  • FIGURE 10B when the table-top is located down 30 degrees as in FIGURE 10A (and one third of its weight is reduced) the gas pressure cylinder is located down 45 degrees against the same base-column structure as bears the weight of the table.
  • the gas pressure cylinder is 15 degrees from its neutral position - i.e. one sixth of its force is still being shared with the structure. Comparing the curves of the actual force output in FIGURES 10A and 10B, it can be seen that repositioning the gas pressure cylinder as in FIGURE 10B has caused the force to be more equal to the table weight in the beginning of travel and to become greater in the latter portions of travel .
  • Changing the mount points and pressure amount of the gas pressure cylinder compared to the known position and weight of the tabletop can effectively determine how the table will rise and descend as influenced by the gas pressure cylinder.
  • tabletop 20 starts from its lowest position (FIGURE 1A) down 30 degrees from hinge point 31.
  • the fully compressed gas spring 55 is pivotally joined to linkage 21 at 40 degrees below “neutral", producing gas spring force exceeding the component of tabletop weight to be counterbalanced over the entire range of tabletop level positions .
  • FIGURE 18A A diagram of the neutral position of a gas piston- cylinder 52 appears in FIGURE 18A.
  • moving end 48 of the piston-cylinder guided by the outer arm of the bell crank 69, describes an arc 67 about the central pivot 79 of bell crank 69.
  • a line drawn from the piston-cylinder's fixed end pivot 82 (on the underside 67 of tabletop 61) is tangent to arc 67 at a point 68, where radius 68-79 is perpendicular to line 68-82, which nearly coincides with the central axis of gas spring 52.
  • Radius 68-79 thus represents the neutral position of the Bloc-O-Lift in FIGURE 18A, and the acute angle 37.5° between radius 79-48 and neutral radius 79-68 indicates an angle greater than the 90° neutral position.
  • the angles 30° and 45° in FIGURE 10B, angles 30° and 40° in FIGURE 10C, and angles 30° and 35° in FIGURE 10D all represent radii whose angles are deducted from the 90° angle of the neutral radius, before the piston-cylinder has extended to the neutral position. If the moving end 48 of the piston rod is below neutral by 30° or 45°, this reduces the moment arm of the counterbalancing force, thus disadvantaging the gas spring.
  • the gas piston-cylinder 55 fixed-end and moving-end mount pivot points s 53, 53A, 54, 54A and the corresponding linkage and table base-column mount or pivot points are carefully positioned in relationship to each other.
  • FIGURE 2B a height adjustable table representing the second preferred embodiment of the present invention and adjusted with the cantilever arm 29 in a horizontal position, with its two terminal pivot points 31 and 32 on the same horizontal plane.
  • FIGURES 2B, 2E, 5, 7 and 8 that the moving-end 54 of the. upright gas piston-cylinder 55 is mounted to the cantilever linkage arm 29, and the fixed-end 53 of the gas piston- cylinder 55 is mounted to the table column 22.
  • the moving-end 54 of the gas piston 55 is mounted to the linkage arm at point 54B at a specific distance from the pivot point 31 to exert 100% effort to raise a tabletop weight.
  • the moving-end 54 can be repositioned at a lesser distance from pivot point 31 at location 54A producing a decreased mechanical advantage .
  • Altering the mechanical advantage can be best understood by force-ratios.
  • the cantilever support arm 29 would be holding 10 foot pounds when in a horizontal position.
  • gas pressurized pistons have a fixed gas pressure so when the gas piston (pressurized to lift 20 pounds as in FIGURE IE) is repositioned, the same (fixed lifting pressure) piston can only lift 20 pounds - not the required 40 pounds. Since the piston pressure is fixed, the only way the piston could lift the tabletop would be if table weight were reduced from 10 pounds to 5 pounds.
  • the gas piston- cylinder 55 (with a fixed lifting pressure) can be positioned and repositioned at an increased or decreased mechanical advantage to compensate for increasing and decreasing total tabletop weights.
  • the lift characteristics of the gas piston can be fine-tuned by addressing what portion of the existing stroke is utilized. Referring again to FIGURE IE, to the extent that the gas piston fixed-end 54 is moved inwards towards the pivot point 31 and the fixed-end mount point 53 remains the same, the gas piston moves through a correspondingly shorter stroke distance to lift the linkage via the cantilever arm through the same range of motion.
  • the stroke portion utilized will be determined to be at the beginning of piston travel (when the piston exerts the greatest force) or at the mid or end of its piston travel (when the piston exerts correspondingly less force) .
  • mount point 53A which is further, or point 53 (FIGURES IE and IF)
  • the stroke portion utilized will be determined to be at the beginning of piston travel (when the piston exerts the greatest force) or at the mid or end of its piston travel (when the piston exerts correspondingly less force) .
  • a gas piston of any given fixed pressure when repositioned closer to the pivot point
  • FIGURES 4G, 4H, 41 and 4J a modified second embodiment of the invention is shown, with the substantially upright air spring piston-cylinder 55 replaced by a forwardly projecting air spring piston-cylinder assembly 51.
  • Piston-cylinder 51 is also preferably a Stabilus Block- O-Lift locking gas spring, having end points 53 and 54 for mounting it to the other linkage components (FIGURES 9C, 9D, 4G-4J) .
  • FIGURES 4G to 4J It can be understood from FIGURES 4G to 4J that the location and operation of the gas pressure piston-cylinders are unrelated to their orientation in relation to gravity, but they are still relatively affected by structural vectoring.
  • a forwardly projecting near-horizontally positioned gas spring 51 is mounted in the second preferred embodiment, to produce the same range of motion and neutral buoyancy lift force as compared to the upright and near vertical gas springs 55.
  • FIGURES 4G-4J are compared to FIGURES 6-8, for example, the absence of the upright gas spring 55 and its replacement by the forwardly extending gas spring 51 among the other components of linkage 21 creates a more streamlined and efficient column 22, with all of the linkage 21 including gas spring 51 forming a single articulating assembly directly under the tabletop.
  • Gas spring piston-cylinder assemblies 51 and 55 perform similar functions with efficiency, and both provide the same opportunities for fine tuning their counterbalancing force, as illustrated in FIGURES IOC and 10D.
  • FIGURES 6B, 7B and 8B A traditional "four-bar parallel arm system" creating a tabletop support link parallelogram defined by pivot points 32-38-39-36 is shown in FIGURES 6B, 7B and 8B.
  • This four- bar parallelogram holds the tabletop 20 in a horizontal position, as the linkage 21 moves through its range of positions, locked by gas spring 55 whenever the unclamping lever 26 is not actuated.
  • a second four-bar parallelogram 31-36-41-42 guides the motion of linkage 21. Both of these four-bar parallelograms are shown in FIGURES 6A, 7A, 8A, where they are all shown to be unskewed or unflattened over the operating range of linkage 21, and their acute angles remain greater than 45 degrees throughout this range, assuring effective counterbalancing force transmission over the continuous range of tabletop height levels.
  • this system may be viewed as a "six-bar system" , in which the six bars are the rigid cantilever arm 29, defining line 31-32; rigid bell crank 34 defining line 37-36-41; forward link 40; upper link 37; an imaginary line 31-VCP (an imaginary virtual center pivot point in space) positioned substantially rearward behind the mechanism; and another-imaginary line VCP-38, both imaginary lines and point VCP being shown in FIGURE IE and 2E.
  • Imaginary line 31-VCP is parallel to line 32-38 joining the two pivot points supporting the tabletop 20.
  • Imaginary line VCP-38 is parallel to line 31-32, joining the two terminal pivot points of cantilever arm 29.
  • VCP L the virtual pivot point for the rotation of the uppermost linkage pivot point 38
  • VCP T the virtual pivot point for the rear rim of tabletop 20.
  • each may have its own gas spring piston-cylinder 55, providing "heavy duty" counterbalancing of heavier loads. If each air spring 55 has its own lever 26, actuating either lever will unlock only one air spring, and the table will not be free to move until both levers 26 are actuated.
  • a third option provides "super heavy duty” counterbalancing of much heavier loads, and employs three gas spring units, which should all be unlocked ideally by a ganged pair of levers 26.
  • a gas pressure spring without clamping means having the same force characteristics as the Stabilus BLOCK-0-LIFT.
  • Uncontrolled extension gas pressure springs also made by Stabilus are referred to as NON BLOCKING LIFT-O-MAT gas springs for lifting, lowering, moving, and adjusting table structures.
  • the first or second preferred embodiment is utilized without the user unclamping the gas spring for raising or lowering and whereby the gas spring could be mounted for automatic full rise or mid position buoyancy.
  • a raised linkage system with tabletop could rise like an elevator to reach a shelf where a box container could be placed on the tabletop, which would automatically lower to mid or full down position as a result of the weight of the box container.
  • a worker loader located below could remove the box container from the tabletop, and with the weight removed the tabletop would return to its buoyant position or to a fully raised position to be re-loaded with another box container.
  • the third preferred embodiment of the invention relates to the office furniture field and more specifically to ergonomically designed computer desks and work stations, including adjustable height computer training tables for school classrooms.
  • Adjustable seats that keep the user's feet flat on the floor, keyboards at elbow height to reduce carpal tunnel repetitive stress, monitors high enough and far enough away to reduce neck and eye strain, etc are prevalent today.
  • this is achieved by adding components such as adjustable keyboard trays to existing writing style desks of fixed height which are most often too high for today' s computer use. Smaller females and taller males work in compromised postures causing fatigue. Even when the computer components are properly positioned all the other work tools such as the mouse; telephone, adding machines, etc. are still out of proper reach.
  • FIGURES 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15A through 18B a unique desk is achieved that adjusts to the sitting height and reach of all size people.
  • the entire desktop surface raises and lowers in a dynamic fashion.
  • a counterbalancing force compensates for the weight of the desk top and the computer and other components so the desktop seemingly floats up and down when the height adjustment is unlocked by actuating an unclamping means, and then maintains that position when the unclamping means lever is released.
  • the work station is manually controlled and moves quickly up and down without the use of electric motors or manual cranks .
  • the height adjustable work station of this embodiment of the invention utilizes a unique scissors shaped support leg assembly 60 on each side that pivots about an axle point 62 to raise and lower the desk height while maintaining the tabletop 61 in a horizontal position.
  • the crossed legs 63 and 73 comprising one side of the scissors legs assembly 60 have rollers or wheels attached at one end and fixed brackets at the other.
  • the upper front end of one leg 63 is pivotally bracketed at 64 to the underside of the front edge 65 of the tabletop.
  • the other rear end of leg 63 has a wheel 66 in contact with the floor.
  • the other leg 73 of the same side has a roller 74 in contact with the underside 67 of the rear portion of the tabletop.
  • On its other front end is a pivotable bracket 76 in contact with the floor.
  • the two legs 63 and 73 are attached at center by a pivot 62 to comprise a crossed leg shaped like an "X", under each side rim 77 of the table top 61.
  • a scissoring action is created which changes their relative angle and hence the height of each "X" shaped leg assembly 63-73 supporting one side of tabletop 61.
  • FIGURES 15B, 16B and 17B As the angle of the two legs in relation to each other changes, it can be seen in FIGURES 15B, 16B and 17B that there is a corresponding relative distance change between the ends of the two support legs in both the horizontal and vertical directions.
  • a rolling distance limiting device is connected to the rollers on the underside 67 of the tabletop.
  • This device is an unclamping lever 26 on the underside of table 61, preferably under its edge rim 77 near its front rim 65.
  • Lever 26 operatively connected by a shutter-type cable 50A to a valve 48 at the outermost piston end of the gas spring piston-cylinder 52.
  • the outermost end of the extensible piston is also pivotally connected by horizontally pivoting linkage to the rollers 74, as shown in the upper right portion of FIGURES 15A, 16A, 17A, 18A and 18B.
  • the linearly variable adjustment component is a gas filled piston-cylinder 55, which produces a counterbalancing force to compensate for table weight.
  • the piston-cylinder 52 By closing the gas valve 48 (FIGURE 9A) the piston-cylinder 52 can be locked in any position along its piston stoke.
  • FIGURES 11, 12, 15B, 16B and 17B there are two scissoring leg assemblies 60 of the same dimensions shown as left and right leg support systems with four floor contacts to stabilize the desk.
  • legs 63 and 73 When legs 63 and 73 are arranged in a scissors shape, they may be connected by an axle 62 which is fastened through the two aligned center points 62.
  • axle 62 As the legs go through the scissors action shown in FIGURES 11 to 12, and 15B, 16B and 17B, it can be seen that the fixed points and rolling points change distance relative to each other, and allow the tabletop to change height relative to the floor, while maintaining the tabletop in a fixed and rigid horizontal position.
  • FIGURE 14 the table or desk assembly is viewed from underneath in a perspective bottom plan view. It can be seen in FIGURE 15B that as the legs go through this scissors action, the horizontal distances increase as the legs spread and the desk lowers. The horizontal distances decrease as the legs come together in FIGURE 17B to raise the tabletop.
  • an axle 72 is supplied connecting through the upper ends of legs 73 and mounting the rollers 74.
  • the axle 72 is connected to the unclamping lever 26 positioned near an outer front rim 65 of tabletop 61.
  • the roller axle 72 is pivotally connected to a horizontally pivoting bell crank lever 69, whose innermost end is pivotally connected to the linkage bar 81 at pivot 80.
  • the bell crank lever 69 is shaped like an L and is pivotally fixed at its central point to the underside of the tabletop 61 at pivot point 79.
  • the outer end of the lever 69 is attached to the moving mount point of a gas valve 48, shown in FIGURES 9A, 15A, 16A, and 17A, positioned at the extensible outer piston end of a counterbalance force- generating pressurized gas piston-cylinder 52.
  • the other end of the gas cylinder 55 preferably the Stabilus BLOC-O- LIFT ® , is pivotally fixed at 82 to the underside 67 of the tabletop 61.
  • lockable counterbalancing gas springs 51, 52 or 55 incorporated in each of the three embodiments of this invention provide the force required to counterbalance the weight of the tabletop and its cargo, in the same way causing the tabletop to float toward its buoyant mid-range level whenever the gas spring is unlocked by the user. At such times, each of the tabletops can be raised or lowered by very slight force applied to it by the user.

Landscapes

  • Tables And Desks Characterized By Structural Shape (AREA)
  • Manipulator (AREA)

Abstract

Cette invention porte sur un poste de travail compact réglable en hauteur qui fait appel à une combinaison unique de bras de support et d'articulations afin qu'on obtienne une résistance accrue ainsi qu'une grande plage de réglage de la hauteur du plateau de la table à partir d'un facteur de forme inférieur à celui observé d'ordinaire dans l'industrie. Le réglage de la hauteur de la surface de travail est effectué par l'utilisateur et bénéficie d'une assistance par pression, ce qui permet à l'utilisateur de ne fournir qu'un effort minimal pour relever ou abaisser physiquement la surface de travail à la hauteur du plateau de la table désirée. L'assistance par pression peut être située à divers endroits afin que différents poids du plateau de la table soient compensés. Pour une compensation automatique, un piston-cylindre à ressort à gaz extensible allongé est conçu pour être verrouillé dans une plage continue quelconque de positions réglées infinies. Un desserrage manuel libère le ressort à gaz d'équilibrage, ce qui modifie immédiatement le réglage manuel du niveau de hauteur du plateau de la table. On peut ainsi obtenir une hauteur intermédiaire ou un niveau de plateau de table élevé au moyen d'un réglage par desserrage et d'une force manuelle minimum.
PCT/US2004/012957 2003-04-29 2004-04-28 Tables de travail multi-positions WO2004097269A2 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US10/552,828 US20070266912A1 (en) 2003-04-29 2004-04-28 Multi-Position Work Tables

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

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US46620803P 2003-04-29 2003-04-29
US60/466,208 2003-04-29

Publications (2)

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WO2004097269A2 true WO2004097269A2 (fr) 2004-11-11
WO2004097269A3 WO2004097269A3 (fr) 2005-01-20

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US (1) US20070266912A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2004097269A2 (fr)

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US8936260B2 (en) 2012-07-20 2015-01-20 B/E Aerospace, Inc. Meal cart for an aircraft galley
CN106579750A (zh) * 2016-11-10 2017-04-26 浙江捷昌线性驱动科技股份有限公司 一种易装配的升降桌
CN111645042A (zh) * 2020-05-09 2020-09-11 泰州朗润电子科技有限公司 一种汽车电子产品生产用便于调节角度的工作台
CN114532711A (zh) * 2022-02-23 2022-05-27 汤凯麟 一种具有风扇的升降式主席台

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CN110833256A (zh) * 2019-11-28 2020-02-25 湖州永威家居科技有限公司 一种能够使桌面保持水平状态的装置
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US8087611B2 (en) * 2006-12-07 2012-01-03 Be Aerospace, Inc. Galley unit with cart lift for elevated cart storage
US8800454B2 (en) 2010-04-12 2014-08-12 Baral Holdings Corp. Height adjustable work surface system
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CN106579750A (zh) * 2016-11-10 2017-04-26 浙江捷昌线性驱动科技股份有限公司 一种易装配的升降桌
CN111645042A (zh) * 2020-05-09 2020-09-11 泰州朗润电子科技有限公司 一种汽车电子产品生产用便于调节角度的工作台
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