Tabletop suspension system

• US 20040035332A1
• Filed: 10/09/2002
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chin-Chih Lin
• Original Assignee: Chin-Chih Lin
• Inventors: Lin, Chin-Chih
• Granted Patent: US 6,792,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 108/50.01
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/0314 Platforms for supporting office equipment

Abstract

A tabletop suspension system is constructed to include a plurality of upright support members for fastening to the top of a table, a connecting rod member horizontally supported on the upright supports, the connecting rod having two coupling units symmetrically formed in top and front sidewalls thereof, and a set of device holders for fastening to the connecting rod member to hold different implements, each device holder having a coupling unit for selectively fastened to one coupling unit of the connecting rod member.

Claims

1. A tabletop suspension system comprising

a plurality of upright support members for fastening to the top of a table;

a connecting rod member horizontally supported on said upright supports, said connecting rod having a recessed bottom sidewall, a top sidewall, a front sidewall forwardly downwardly sloping from said top sidewall, and two longitudinal coupling units respectively and symmetrically located on said top sidewall and said front sidewall, each coupling unit of said connecting rod member comprising a longitudinal opening extended along the length of said connecting rod member, a vertical sidewall portion longitudinally disposed at one side of said longitudinal opening, a sloping sidewall portion longitudinally disposed at an opposite side of said longitudinal opening, a horizontal bottom sidewall portion longitudinally connected between said vertical sidewall portion and said sloping sidewall portion at a bottom side of said longitudinal opening, a longitudinal locating flange perpendicularly upwardly protruded from said horizontal bottom sidewall portion on the middle, and a longitudinal retaining groove defined by said sloping sidewall portion, said horizontal bottom sidewall portion, and said longitudinal coupling flange; and

at least one device holder for fastening to said connecting rod member to hold a device, said at least one device holder each comprising a coupling unit for selectively fastening to one coupling unit of said connecting rod member.

2. The tabletop suspension system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two coupling units of said connecting rod member define a 120°

contained angle.

3. The tabletop suspension system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said connecting rod member has a recessed bottom sidewall, and a longitudinal coupling flange protruded from said recessed bottom sidewall on the middle for fastening to said support members;

said support members each comprise an upright body, a top bearing flange formed integral with the topmost edge of said upright body and fitting the recessed bottom sidewall of said connecting rod member, and a coupling groove formed in said top bearing flange and adapted to receive the longitudinal coupling flange of said connecting rod member.

4. The tabletop suspension system as claimed in claim 3, wherein said upright support members each further comprise a plurality of screw holes extended through top and bottom sides of the respective top bearing flange, and a plurality of tightening up screws respectively threaded into said screw holes and adapted to stop against the recessed bottom sidewall of said connecting rod member after the longitudinal coupling flange of said connecting rod member engaged into the coupling groove of the top bearing flange of the respective upright support member.

5. The tabletop suspension system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling unit of each of said at least one device holder comprises a coupling rod fitting the longitudinal opening of each coupling unit of said connecting rod member and adapted to engage the longitudinal locating flange of the corresponding coupling unit of said connecting rod member.

6. The tabletop suspension system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the coupling rod of the coupling unit of each of said at least one device holder comprises a coupling groove formed in one end thereof and adapted to receive the longitudinal locating flange of the corresponding coupling unit of said connecting rod member.

7. The tabletop suspension system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling unit of each of said at least one device holder comprises an engagement portion engaged into the longitudinal retaining groove of the coupling unit in the top sidewall of said connecting rod member and stopped between the longitudinal locating flange and sloping sidewall portion of the coupling unit in the top sidewall of said connecting rod member.

8. The tabletop suspension system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a screen, said screen comprising two end brackets adapted for fastening to two distal ends of said connecting rod members, and a screen body connected between said end brackets, said end brackets each comprising a mounting arm connectable to said connecting rod member, a vertical holder arm downwardly extended from a top end of said mounting arm, and a positioning groove longitudinally formed in said vertical holder arm at one side and adapted to receive said screen body.

9. The tabletop suspension system as claimed in claim 8, wherein said end brackets each further comprise a mounting hole formed in one side of the respective mounting arm and adapted to be press-fitted onto one end of said connecting rod member, and a stop flange protruded from the periphery of the respective mounting bar along a bottom side of said mounting hole and adapted to support one end of said connecting rod member.

10. The tabletop suspension systems as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one device holder includes multiple device holders adapted to hold a pen holder, a disk rack, a stationery rack, a liquid crystal display, book stands, a telephone rack, and a file rack respectively.