Height Adjustable Workstation
There is provided a height adjustable workstation, comprising a base (1), lower (3) and upper (5) desks, and a lifting mechanism (2) for raising and lowering the lower and upper desks relative to the base, the lower desk (3) for supporting a keyboard and the upper desk (5) for supporting a computer monitor. The upper desk (5) provides a substantially planar upper desk surface that comprises a fixed desk surface (7) of a fixed desk portion (6) and a movable desk surface (9) of a movable desk portion (8), when the moveable desk portion (8) is in a first position. In a second position the movable desk surface (9) is upwardly slanted relative to the fixed desk surface (7), to aid reading of any documents placed on the movable desk surface (9). A skirt (10, 12) fills a gap between the fixed desk surface (7) and the movable desk surface (9) when the movable desk portion is in the second position, to prevent trapping of human fingers.
The present invention relates to a height adjustable workstation, in particular a height adjustable workstation having a lower desk for supporting a keyboard and an upper desk for supporting a computer monitor. The height adjustable workstation has a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the lower and upper desks relative to the base.
A known workstation of this type is intended to be placed with the base upon a table, with the lifting mechanism in a retracted configuration when a user wishes to be seated at the table, and the lifting mechanism in an extended configuration when the user wishes to stand at the table. Working in a standing position can provide health benefits over working in a seated position.
There is a desire to make the workstation more adjustable, so the user can alter the desks to better suit their requirements. For example, the user may wish to adjust the desks in a different manner when standing, to when seated.
It is therefore an aim of the present invention to improve upon the known art.
According to the invention, there is provided a height adjustable workstation according to any one of the appended claims. The height adjustable workstation has an upper desk comprising a movable desk portion and a fixed desk portion, the movable desk portion being pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion. The upper desk provides a substantially planar upper desk surface that comprises a fixed desk surface of the fixed desk portion and a movable desk surface of the movable desk portion, when the moveable desk portion is in a first position. The movable desk portion is movable from the first position to a second position by pivoting a rear edge of the movable desk surface upwardly relative to the fixed desk surface, thereby upwardly slanting the movable desk surface relative to the fixed desk surface to aid reading of any documents placed on the movable desk surface. A gap between the fixed desk surface and a side edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the second position, is filled by a skirt of the height adjustable workstation, to prevent human fingers from entering the gap.
Accordingly, the movable desk surface can be moved from the first position to the second position to act as a document holder, and the skirt helps prevent trapping of human fingers between the fixed desk portion and the movable desk portion when the movable desk surface is lowered from the second position back to the first position.
The skirt may comprise a plurality of portions that are movable relative to one another to increase and decrease a width of the skirt, the width of the skirt being progressively increased as the rear edge of the movable desk surface is pivoted upwardly relative to the fixed desk surface to move from the first position to the second position. The width of the skirt is typically measured in a direction from the fixed desk surface towards the side edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the second position. Allowing the skirt to increase and decrease in width means that the skirt requires less storage space when the movable desk portion is in the first position.
A trough may be fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion beneath the side edge of the movable desk surface, the trough having opposing first and second sides. The skirt may be retracted into the trough when the movable desk portion is moved into the first position, the trough storing the skirt and protecting it from damage.
A height setting member may be pivotally connected to the movable desk portion, and a plurality of height setting cradles may be connected to the fixed desk portion for receiving an end of the height setting member or receiving a protrusion of the height setting member. Then, the angle and height of the movable desk portion in the second position can be set by choosing which height setting cradle the end or protrusion of the height setting member is placed in. Alternatively, the height setting member may be pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion, and the plurality of height setting cradles may be connected to the movable desk portion.
The movable desk portion may be pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion by a pivot that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion at a position adjacent a front edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first and second positions, the front edge of the movable desk surface being opposite the rear edge of the movable desk surface. Then, the front edge of the movable desk surface may remain at substantially the same height as the fixed desk surface when the movable desk surface is moved into the second position. Optionally, the front edge of the movable desk surface may form part of a front edge of the upper desk surface.
The movable desk portion may comprise a slide rail beneath the movable desk surface, the slide rail extending substantially parallel to the side edge of the movable desk surface. The pivot may be attached to a slider that is slidably connected to the slide rail, the slider being slidable from adjacent the front edge of the movable desk surface towards the rear edge of the movable desk surface to move the movable desk portion forwardly into a third position. Accordingly, the movable desk portion may be slid forwardly towards the user, to extend the upper desk surface closer to the user.
The movable desk portion may be fixedly connected to a spigot that is slidable along a slot extending along the first or second sides of the trough, as the movable desk portion is slid forwardly from the first position to the third position. The spigot may be provided on the skirt, or on a mounting bracket attached to the movable desk portion. The spigot prevents the movable desk portion from rotating about the pivot when moving from the first position to the third position, so that the movable desk surface remains in the plane of the substantially planar upper desk surface.
A rear end of the slot may extend upwardly in a direction towards the fixed desk surface, to allow the spigot to move upwardly out of the slot when moving the movable desk portion from the first position to the second position, thereby allowing the rear edge of the movable desk surface to pivot upwardly.
A front end of the slot may extend upwardly in a direction towards the fixed desk surface, to allow the spigot to move upwardly and the front edge of the movable desk surface to pivot downwardly until the movable desk portion contacts the lower desk when moving the movable desk portion from the third position to a fourth position. Then, when the movable desk portion is in the fourth position the movable desk surface provides a document holder at a position lower and closer to the user, in comparison to when the movable desk portion is in the second position. Optionally, in the fourth position the movable desk portion may cover over a keyboard that is placed on the lower desk, to protect the keyboard.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The first embodiment of the invention will now be described, with reference to
The upper desk 5 comprises a fixed desk portion 6, and a movable desk portion 8. In this embodiment, the fixed desk portion 6, and movable desk portion 8 are wooden plates, although other materials could alternatively be used. The fixed desk portion 6 has a fixed desk surface 7, upon which the computer monitor may be placed, and the movable desk portion 8 has a movable desk surface 9. The movable desk portion is shown in a second position in
The movable desk surface 9 has a right side edge 9RS, and first and second skirt portions 10 and 12 are provided between the right side edge 9RS and the fixed desk surface 7, to prevent human fingers from entering into the space (gap) between the right side edge 9RS and the fixed desk surface 7. Similar first and second skirt portions (not shown in Figs) are present between the left side edge 9LS and the fixed desk surface 7, for the same reason. The first and second skirt portions are each substantially triangular plates.
The first skirt portion 10 is fixedly attached to the movable desk portion beneath the right side edge 9RS, and has a spigot 11 which protrudes outwardly in a direction away from the movable desk surface 9. The second skirt portion 12 is movably attached to the first skirt portion 10, and has an arched slot 13 extending along a width of the second skirt portion 12.
The perspective diagram of
The fixed desk portion 6 has a cutaway 28 shown in
Also shown in
As shown in
The first and second skirt portions 10 and 12 are stored inside the channel 20C when the movable desk portion 8 is moved back to the first position shown in
As shown in
Now referring to
When the movable desk portion 8 is moved from the second position (shown in
Optionally, the front edge 9F of the movable desk surface 9 may be provided with a small upward ridge to help retain any documents placed on the movable desk surface 9 in the second position, but the movable desk surface 9 and the fixed desk surface 7 are still considered to form a substantially planar surface in the first position shown in
Also as the movable desk portion 8 is moved from the second position (shown in
The perspective diagrams of
Also as shown in
The perspective diagrams of
A second embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to
The movable desk portion is shown in a second position in
The movable desk surface 9a has a right side edge 9RSa, and first and second skirt portions 10a and 12a are provided between the right side edge 9RSa and the fixed desk surface 7a, to prevent human fingers from entering into the space (gap) between the right side edge 9RSa and the fixed desk surface 7a. Similar first and second skirt portions (not shown in Figs) are present between the left side edge 9LSa and the fixed desk surface 7a, for the same reason. The first and second skirt portions are each substantially triangular plates, similar to the first embodiment.
The first skirt portion 10a is fixedly attached to the movable desk portion beneath the right side edge 9RSa, and in contrast to the first embodiment does not have any spigot protruding outwardly. The second skirt portion 12a is movably attached to the first skirt portion 10a, and has an arched slot 13a extending along a width of the second skirt portion 12a. The arched slot receives a protrusion of the first skirt portion 10a, in the same manner as the first embodiment.
The perspective diagram of
The enlarged view EN8 also shows that the first sidewall 21a of the trough 20a has an extended portion 33a, which extends inwardly from the first sidewall 21a. The extended portion has a pivot which extends into a socket of a slider 31a, in a similar manner to the pivot 30 of the first embodiment. The pivot of the second embodiment is fixedly connected to the trough 20a of the fixed desk portion 6a at a position adjacent the front edge 9Fa of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first and second positions. The pivot allows pivoting of the slider 31a relative to the trough 20a and the fixed desk portion 6a, and is slidably attached to a slide rail 32a, similar to the slide rail 32 of the first embodiment.
When the movable desk portion 8a is moved from the second position (shown in
As shown in
Also shown in
The first sidewall 21a has the slot 23a aligned along a length of the trough, and the slot 23a has a front end 24a and a rear end 25a. Both the front and the rear ends of the slot are angled upwardly in a direction towards the fixed desk surface 7a, and a middle region of the slot 23a between the front end 24a and a rear end 25a extends substantially horizontally.
A mounting bracket 35a is fixedly attached to an underside of the movable desk portion 8a, adjacent the rear edge 9Ra and the right side edge 9RSa of the movable desk surface. An equivalent mounting bracket (not shown) is attached adjacent the rear edge 9Ra and the left side edge 9LSa, since the workstation is symmetrical about the slice CNTa (
The height setting member 17a is pivotally attached to the movable desk portion 8 by the mounting bracket 35a, as seen in the enlarged view EN9, and the outward protrusion 17p (shown in
The height setting member 17a has a handle 36a attached to it, and which extends substantially parallel to the rear edge 9Ra of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion 8a is in the first position. The handle 36a can be used to help select which of the height setting cradles 16a the outward protrusion 17p is received within. In this embodiment, the handle 36a is attached to both the height setting member 17a at the right side of the workstation and the equivalent height setting member at the left side of the workstation, so both of these height setting members can be moved together by moving the handle 36a.
The perspective diagrams of
Also as shown in
The perspective diagrams of
Various other embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims will also be apparent to those skilled in the art.
Claims
1. A height adjustable workstation, comprising a base, a lower desk, an upper desk, and a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the lower and upper desks relative to the base, the lower desk for supporting a keyboard and the upper desk for supporting a computer monitor, wherein:
- the upper desk comprises a movable desk portion and a fixed desk portion, the movable desk portion being pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion,
- the upper desk provides a substantially planar upper desk surface that comprises a fixed desk surface of the fixed desk portion and a movable desk surface of the movable desk portion, when the moveable desk portion is in a first position,
- the movable desk portion is movable from the first position to a second position by pivoting a rear edge of the movable desk surface upwardly relative to the fixed desk surface, thereby upwardly slanting the movable desk surface relative to the fixed desk surface to aid reading of any documents placed on the movable desk surface;
- wherein a gap between the fixed desk surface and a side edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the second position, is filled by a skirt of the height adjustable workstation, to prevent human fingers from entering the gap.
2. The height adjustable workstation of claim 1, wherein the skirt comprises a plurality of portions that are movable relative to one another to increase and decrease a width of the skirt, the width of the skirt being progressively increased as the rear edge of the movable desk surface is pivoted upwardly relative to the fixed desk surface to move from the first position to the second position.
3. The height adjustable workstation of claim 2, wherein the skirt comprises a first portion that is fixedly connected to the movable desk portion, a second portion that is movably connected to the first portion, and a cradle and protrusion, the first portion comprising the cradle and the second portion comprising the protrusion, or the first portion comprising the protrusion and the second portion comprising the cradle, wherein the protrusion moves into the cradle to lift the second portion as the movable desk portion is moved upwardly from the first position to the second position.
4. The height adjustable workstation of claim 3, wherein the cradle is formed by an end of an arched slot in the first portion in the case where the first portion comprises the cradle, or wherein the cradle is formed by an end of an arched slot in the second portion in the case where the second portion comprises the cradle.
5. The height adjustable workstation of claim 4, wherein the height adjustable workstation further comprises a trough that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion beneath the side edge of the movable desk surface, the trough having opposing first and second sides, and wherein the skirt is retracted into the trough when the movable desk portion is moved into the first position.
6. The height adjustable workstation of claim 5, further comprising a height setting member that is pivotally connected to the movable desk portion, and a plurality of height setting cradles connected to the fixed desk portion for receiving an end of the height setting member or receiving a protrusion of the height setting member, wherein the end or protrusion of the height setting member is selectively received in one of the height setting cradles when the movable desk portion is in the second position, to set an extent to which the rear edge of the movable desk surface is pivoted upwardly relative to the fixed desk surface in the second position.
7. The height adjustable workstation of claim 6, wherein the height setting cradles are formed within the first side of the trough, and aligned in a row along a length of the trough.
8. The height adjustable workstation of claim 6, further comprising a member fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion, extending to directly beneath a central region of the movable desk portion, and having the height setting cradles formed in a row along the extension of the member.
9. The height adjustable workstation of claim 8, wherein the movable desk portion is pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion by a pivot that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion at a position adjacent a front edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first and second positions.
10. The height adjustable workstation of claim 8, wherein the movable desk portion is pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion by a pivot that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion at a position adjacent a front edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first and second positions, the pivot being attached to the trough at a position adjacent the front edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first and second positions.
11. The height adjustable workstation of claim 9, wherein the movable desk portion comprises a slide rail beneath the movable desk surface, the slide rail extending substantially parallel to the side edge of the movable desk surface, wherein the pivot is attached to a slider that is slidably connected to the slide rail, the slider being slidable from adjacent the front edge of the movable desk surface towards the rear edge of the movable desk surface to move the movable desk portion forwardly into a third position.
12. The height adjustable workstation of claim 11, further comprising a mounting bracket attached to the movable desk portion, the mounting bracket comprising a spigot that is slidable along a slot extending along the first or second sides of the trough, the spigot being slid along the slot as the movable desk portion is moved forwardly into the third position.
13. The height adjustable workstation of claim 12, wherein the pivotal connection of the height setting member to the movable desk portion comprises the mounting bracket.
14. The height adjustable workstation of claim 13, further comprising a handle that is attached to the height setting member and which extends substantially parallel to the rear edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first position.
15. The height adjustable workstation of claim 11, wherein the first portion of the skirt comprises a spigot that is slidable along a slot extending along the first or second sides of the trough, the spigot being slid along the slot as the movable desk portion is moved forwardly into the third position.
16. The height adjustable workstation of claim 12, wherein a front end of the slot extending along the first or second sides of the trough, extends upwardly in a direction towards the fixed desk surface, to allow the spigot to move upwardly and the front edge of the movable desk surface to pivot downwardly until the movable desk portion contacts the lower desk when moving the movable desk portion from the third position to a fourth position.
17. The height adjustable workstation of claim 12, wherein a rear end of the slot extending along the first or second sides of the trough, extends upwardly in a direction towards the fixed desk surface, to allow the spigot to move upwardly out of the slot when moving the movable desk portion from the first position to the second position.
18. The height adjustable workstation of claim 2, wherein the height adjustable workstation further comprises a trough that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion beneath the side edge of the movable desk surface, the trough having opposing first and second sides, and wherein the skirt is retracted into the trough when the movable desk portion is moved into the first position.
19. The height adjustable workstation of claim 1, further comprising a height setting member that is pivotally connected to the movable desk portion, and a plurality of height setting cradles connected to the fixed desk portion for receiving an end of the height setting member or receiving a protrusion of the height setting member, wherein the end or protrusion of the height setting member is selectively received in one of the height setting cradles when the movable desk portion is in the second position, to set an extent to which the rear edge of the movable desk surface is pivoted upwardly relative to the fixed desk surface in the second position.
20. The height adjustable workstation of claim 1, wherein the movable desk portion is pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion by a pivot that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion at a position adjacent a front edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first and second positions.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 28, 2017
Publication Date: Jan 4, 2018
Inventor: Stefan Knox (Haslemere)
Application Number: 15/636,395