ARRANGEMENT FOR HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT PREFERABLY FOR KITCHEN TABLES WITH BASE CABINETS
An arrangement for height-adjustment, preferably for kitchen tables with base cabinets is designed as a platform comprising a bottom plate (10), on which is mounted a lifting arrangement (13-18) with a carrying surface (11) for an object positioned thereon.
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The present invention relates to an arrangement for height-adjustment, preferably for base cabinets located on a floor, and where the upper side of the cabinets are furnished with a table top, particularly kitchen tables with base cabinets. This particularly relates to kitchen elements where a standard size of a base cabinet is: depth 50-60 cm and height 60-70 cm having varying widths from 30 cm to 120 cm, with leaps of 10 cm, and where the standard widths are 40 cm, 50 cm and 60 cm.
Height-adjustable work tables where the height of the table top can be adjusted to the height of different users have been known in special purpose constructions for many years e.g. for emergency dispatch centers, which are manned around the clock. The development of sitting/standing tables was commenced towards the end of the 1980s/the beginning of the 1990s. This development was due to ergonomic reasons, so that the user could assume changing work positions. A number of different lifting columns designed as table legs have been developed for these sitting/standing tables, just as different linear actuators for these lifting columns have been developed. In some structures the linear actuator is an incorporated part of the lifting column and in other structures it is a separate unit which may be built into different lifting columns. Basically, a lifting column consists of a telescopic guide and the linear actuator, which typically consists of a spindle unit driven by a low-voltage DC-motor. To begin with the lifting columns were designed with two members, a fixed and an extendable member. However, due to increased requirements of the customers for the variable heights, lifting columns with three members were developed—one fixed and two extendable members. The development was, however, also marked by a desire for cheaper products in order to gain a foothold on the market. As an example of a typical lifting column for a work table and an actuator for a lifting column, reference is made to WO2004/100632 A1, Linak A/S. A typical example of a desk having a lifting column at each side is disclosed in EP 1079511 A1, Linak A/S.
For that reason the desire for height-adjustment has become more pronounced and has spread to other fields, where it has been attempted to use the same type of lifting columns for sitting/standing work tables. However, it has not always been possible to use these or it has, in terms of construction and design, proven to be difficult to fit the lifting columns to a given structure.
One of the fields, where it is desired to be able to perform a height-adjustment is kitchen tables, where the table top rests on a row of base cabinets. This is a relatively complicated task where it is not immediately possible to use the lifting columns intended for height-adjustable work tables. This is among other things due to the fact that a kitchen table is relatively long and heavy. It is particularly challenging in case of cooking islands, which often are twice as wide since they comprise two rows of cabinets placed back to back. As examples reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,575 and US 2003/0227240 A1 both Maytag Corp., disclosing cooking islands constructed around specially constructed height-adjustable frames. It should also be mentioned that JP20031591221 Yamaha Living Tec. discloses a kitchen table, where the table top can be raised from the lower frame.
The purpose of the invention is to provide a solution for height-adjustment of kitchen tables, where the table top rests on a row of base cabinets. It is required that the production and assembly costs are relatively inexpensive, just as the technical solution should be simple and preferably so simple that it is suitable for a do-it-yourself project, i.e. without actual preceding expertise in the field.
This is achieved according to the invention by constructing the arrangement for height-adjustment as a platform comprising a bottom plate on which a lifting arrangement having a supporting surface for an object is mounted. Thus, the height-adjustment is a separate element and already known elements such as base cabinets may be used, i.e. simply by placing them on top of the supporting surface of the platform. For kitchen, utility room, bath room and dressing room elements, having a basically standardized size, the size of the platforms may be adapted accordingly. For a kitchen table with base cabinets the required number of platforms can then merely be placed together, where after the base cabinets are placed on top of them. The advantage is also that the existing production machinery for manufacturing cabinet and drawer elements can remain intact, while the manufacturing of the platforms is transferred to a separate production, which may be optimized with a view thereto.
In the dependent claims more different embodiments for the height-adjustment arrangement have been provided. The claims 2-4 disclose embodiments based on spindles, which give the advantage of being reliable and long-lasting and with a solid spindle or a solid spindle combined with a hollow spindle a wide span in the adjustment height as well as a cost optimizing is achieved.
Claims 5-6 provide different solutions all based on the idea of using a wedging for the height-adjustment. The wedge surfaces sliding against each other may be fashioned to have a low friction, e.g. by means of a surface treatment or surface coating, alternatively rolls may be used on the wedge surfaces. Again, this is a simple and uncomplicated construction.
Claims 6-7 provide solutions based on box-shaped profiles, which may be designed such that they can be located in pairs under each side of a base cabinet, alternatively at the front and rear edge. The latter solution further has the advantage that access under the cabinet from the front is prevented.
Claims 8 and 10 provide solutions with levers, where the solution in claim 8 may be moved by means of a known actuator. It is an obvious advantage that a linear actuator is a well-proven component which is simple and dependable. The solution in claim 10 is based on spindle technology and has the advantage that the levers may be arranged so that transversal forces eliminate each other.
Claim 9 provides an entirely different solution based on a rope pull, where the rope may be a wire, band or the like. Again, a simple and functional solution, which likewise may be constructed relatively inexpensive.
The invention further relates to a cabinet with a bottom plate, being prepared for mounting of or which is mounted with at least one arrangement according to one of the claims 1-14. This could e.g. be holes or dogs or brackets which should cooperate with the arrangement.
Various embodiments of the invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
Another solution is shown in
The embodiment shown in
A similar solution is shown in
A somewhat similar construction is shown in
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In
For the sake of completeness,
The invention thus provides a solution, at which a table top mounted on base cabinets in an uncomplicated manner may be adjusted in height. The solution may be used where a table top is mounted on a continuous row of base cabinets as well as an interrupted row of base cabinets, e.g. where the table top is mounted on a base cabinet at each end. The platform according to the invention may be adapted to the individual base cabinets but may also be constructed to carry two or more base cabinets located next to each other. It is understood that two platforms may also be used for one cabinet e.g. a platform in each side with a width of 20 cm and depth of 45 cm may be used for a 60 cm wide cabinet. Such a platform may immediately be used for a slim cabinet e.g. with a width of 30 cm. In such a platform there is only one lifting arrangement at each end.
It is noted that the invention is not only intended for kitchens but may be used in other connections. An obvious example is in connection with laboratory and clinical equipment, where the cabinet elements by and large correspond to the kitchen cabinet elements.
When studying the invention from an overall point of view it is realized that the invention may be used for much more than height-adjustment of floor-mounted cabinet and drawer elements. The platform may e.g. be located on a table for height-adjustment of an object on the table. This is particularly relevant in connection with laboratory and clinical equipment.
Claims
1. An arrangement for height-adjustment for base cabinets located on a floor and where an upper side of the cabinets includes a table top, wherein the arrangement is designed as a platform comprising a bottom plate on which is mounted a lifting arrangement with a carrying surface for an object positioned thereon.
2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a spindle unit (2-4, 7, 8; 13-15; 73-75; 200, 202, 203) comprises at least one spindle (2; 13, 14; 73, 74,-200, 202) and a spindle nut (8; 15; 75; 203) is mounted at each corner of the bottom plate (10) and where an upper end of the spindle unit (2-4, 7, 8; 13-15; 73-75; 200, 202, 203) constitutes the carrying surface and where the spindle units are driven by at least one electric motor (5; 80; 302).
3. The arrangement according to claim 1, including a spindle (2) on a pressure bearing (4) mounted at each corner of the bottom plate and where the lower end of the spindle is equipped with a toothed disc or chain wheel (4), a motor (5) which through an endless toothed belt or chain (6) drives the spindles (2) synchronously and where a tube piece (7) extending over the spindles (2), is equipped with a spindle nut (8) at the lower end, and where the upper side of the tube pieces (7) constitutes the supporting surface.
4. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein a hollow spindle (13) with external thread is secured in each corner of the bottom plate, a solid spindle (14) with external thread is secured to a top plate (11), constituting the supporting surface, a tubular spindle nut (15) is secured between the hollow spindle (13) and the solid spindle (14), said spindle nut having a hole with internal thread for the solid spindle (14) at the top and a hole with internal thread for the hollow spindle (13) at the bottom, the spindle nuts (15) are mounted in each corner of an intermediate frame (16), and a motor unit, which through an endless chain or toothed belt (17) running over a chain wheel or toothed pulley (18) drives each spindle nut (15).
5. The arrangement according to claim 1, including two wedge elements (80,81) located next to each other, an axially displaceable wedge element (82) is located between these two wedge elements, said displaceable wedge element rests on one on the wedge elements (80) with a surface, while the other wedge element (81) rests on a surface of the displaceable wedge element (82) facing upwards, and where the axially displaceable wedge element (82) may be moved with a chain or belt drive, alternatively a spindle nut unit.
6. The arrangement according to claim 1, includes a box-shaped profile (51) which is open at the top and a box-shaped profile (50) which is open at the bottom and that there between these two box-shaped profiles (50,51) is a chassis element (52), in which two chain wheels (53,54) are embedded, over which an endless chain (55) runs, that a triangular plate element (56,57) is secured to each chain distance between the two chain wheels (53,54), where an axle pin (58-61) is secured at each corner facing away from the chain wheels (53,54), said axle pin fitting into two inclined tracks (62, 63; 64, 65) in the two box-shaped profiles (51;50), and where the chain (55) is driven by a reversible electric motor (66) such that when the two triangular plate elements (56,57) are displaced away from each other, the upper box-shaped profile (50) will be raised and when the two triangular plate elements (56,57) are pulled towards each other the upper box-shaped profile (50) is lowered.
7. The arrangement according to claim 1, includes two box-shaped profiles (70,71) and that a third box-shaped profile (72) is located in between such that these three box-shaped profiles (70-72) in a telescopic manner may be displaced in and out of each other with a solid spindle (73) in mesh with a hollow spindle (74), which again is in mesh with a tubular spindle nut (75), which on the exterior has a bevel wheel (76), that such a spindle unit is located at each end of the box-shaped profiles (70-72) and is connected to a drive shaft (77) driven by a motor, and that each end of the drive shaft (77) is equipped with a bevel wheel (78) in mesh with the bevel wheel (76) of the spindle unit on the spindle nuts (75).
8. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein two parallel shafts (23,24) are mounted on the bottom plate (2) at a mutual distance, and that an arm (25-28) is located at each end of these shafts, that the upper end of the arms (25-28) in pairs are connected to a rod (29,30), corresponding to the length between the two shafts (23,24) such that a rod-shaped parallelogram emerges at each side, the upper side of which constituting the supporting surface and that a linear actuator (32) is secured with one end to the bottom plate (20) and with the other end (33) is secured to a rotary arm (31) on one of the shafts (23) for raising and lowering the rod-shaped parallelogram.
9. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the lifting arrangement comprises a shaft (103) driven by a motor (108) mounted on the bottom plate (102), that a rope such as a wire, belt, plastic band, steel band (104;109) is secured to each end of the shaft (103), said rope running over rolls (105,106) and up over the upper edge of the lower box-shaped element (100) and is secured to the underside of a subsequent box-shaped element (101).
10. The arrangement according to claim 1, including two similar but mirrored arrangements comprising a lever (90), mounted about a horizontal shaft (91) in a rotatable manner, that a spindle (92), driven by a reversible electric motor (93), is secured at a distance along the lever (90), that the spindle (92) is in mesh with a spindle nut (94) mounted on the lever (90), that the spindle nut (94) is mounted on the lever in a rotatable and displaceable manner, alternatively that the spindle (92) is embedded in a tiltable manner.
11. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the platform is longitudinal, i.e., the length is larger than the width, and where a lifting arrangement with a spindle unit, a lever, wedge arrangement or rope drive is located at each end.
12. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the platform has a length of approximately 45 cm and a width of approximately 20 cm.
13. The arrangement according to claim 1, including on at least the visible sides of the platform in its mounted position a telescopic cover.
14. The arrangement according to claim 13, wherein one part of the telescopic cover is secured to the bottom plate while another part is secured at the carrying surface such that the cover is extended and retracted concurrently with the movements of the platform.
15. A cabinet with a bottom plate prepared for mounting of or which is mounted with at least one arrangement according to claim 1.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 9, 2010
Publication Date: Nov 8, 2012
Applicant:
Inventors: Michael L. Randløv (Vojens), Torben Basse (Sonderborg), Henrik Winther (Sonderborg), Jeppe C. Bastholm (Sonderborg), Martin Riis (Nordborg), Henning Kristensen (Sydals), Jens J. Nielsen (Oct Shenzhen), Norbert Klinke (Augustenborg), Bent Jensen (Nordborg)
Application Number: 13/514,216
International Classification: A47B 51/00 (20060101);