Adjustable work surface for computer stations

• US 5,483,902 A
• Filed: 09/14/1993
• Issued: 01/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Peter T. Grosch
• Original Assignee: Peter T. Grosch
• Inventors: Grosch, Peter T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US08/121,204
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 312/106, 312/350, 312/334.4, 108/143, 248/243, 248/244
• US Class Current: 108/143
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/02 with vertical adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0069 with rack

Abstract

An ergonomic console for a computer workstation having a horizontally extendible shelf which is vertically adjustable in increments of height to provide a comfortable clearance for different size persons. The shelf is slidable in tracks at either end, and adjuster plates on the interior sides of the console include vertical slots with rearwardly extending notches at spaced intervals which receive bushings extending from either end portion of the tracks.

Claims

1. A workstation comprising:

means providing a supporting surface having opposite edges, each having track-engaging slide means;

means providing a pair of tracks located alongside said opposite edges of the supporting surface and slidably receiving said track-engaging slide means to permit sliding of said supporting surface in a path defined by said tracks, each of said tracks having supporting slot-engaging means comprising a front projection and a rear projection;

first and second plate means, the first plate means being located alongside one of said opposite edges of the supporting surface and the second plate means being located alongside the other of said opposite edges of the supporting surface; and

means supporting each of said first and second plate means at a predetermined height;

the first plate means having a front supporting slot receiving the front projection of one of said tracks and a rear supporting slot receiving the rear projection of said one of said tracks;

the second plate means having a front supporting slot receiving the front projection of a second of said pair of tracks and a rear supporting slot receiving the rear projection of said second track;

one of the slots in each plate means comprising a vertically elongated section having a plurality of straight notches extending obliquely downwardly therefrom, at vertically spaced locations, in a direction transverse to the direction of elongation of the vertically elongated section of the slot, for receiving one of said projections; and

the other of the slots in each plate means comprising a vertically elongated section having a plurality of curved notches extending therefrom, at vertically spaced locations, each of the curved notches extending transverse to the direction of elongation of the vertically elongated section of said other of the slots and having a downwardly extending pocket formed therein and spaced from the vertically elongated section, for receiving another one of said projections;

whereby, for vertical adjustment of the position of the supporting surface, the track-providing means must be moved upward, and then horizontally, to position said projections in the vertically elongated sections of the slots.

2. A workstation according to claim 1 in which each of said projections on each track is a bushing having a neck portion located in a slot of one of said plate means and an enlarged portion located on the side of the plate means remote from the track.

3. A workstation according to claim 1 in which each of said projections on each track is a bushing having a neck portion located in a slot of one of said plate means and an enlarged port, ion located on the side of the plate means remote from the track, and in which each of said slots has an opening at one end thereof sufficiently large to allow passage of the enlarged portion, and in which the remaining portions of the slot are sufficiently narrow to prevent passage of said enlarged portion therethrough.

4. A workstation according to claim 1 in which each of said first and second plate means comprises a front plate having a front supporting slot and a rear plate having a rear supporting slot.

5. A workstation according to claim 4 in which said means supporting each of said first and second plate means at a predetermined height comprises a first upright panel on which are mounted the front and rear plates of the first plate means and a second upright panel on which are mounted the front and rear plates of the second plate means.

6. A workstation according to claim 4 in which said means supporting each of said first and second plate means at a predetermined height comprises a first upright panel having a face on which are mounted the front and rear plates of the first plate means and a second upright panel having a face on which are mounted the front and rear plates of the second plate means, in which each of said projections on each track is a bushing having a neck portion located in a slot of one of said plate means and an enlarged portion located on the side of the plate means remote from the track, and in which each of said upright panels has a hollow recess covered by each plate mounted thereon, the hollow recesses providing clearance for said enlarged portions of the projections.

7. Apparatus for adjusting within predetermined limits the height of a slidable shelf having opposite ends, the shelf being supported at said opposite ends between a pair of upright panels of an article of furniture, said article of furniture having a front and rear, and said upright panels having opposed interior sides, comprising, in combination:

first and second adjuster plate means fixed in a facing relation to each other, one of said plate means being attached to an interior side of one of said panels, and the other of said plate means being attached to an interior side of the other of said panels, each of said plate means containing front and rear vertical slots extending between the predetermined limits and notches communicating lengthwise intervals with each of said front and rear vertical slots and extending toward the rear of the article of furniture; and

a pair of tracks one of the tracks being slidably received on one of the shelf ends and the other of the tracks being slidably received on the other of the shelf ends, each of said tracks having front and rear end portions and including front and rear bushings extending respectively from its said front and rear end portions and slidable in adjacent slots and notches of adjacent of said adjuster plate means;

wherein said notches communicating with said front slots curve downward forming pockets which prevent forward motion of said tracks while said front bushings are seated therein; and

wherein said notches communicating with said rear slots are straight and slant downward to form pockets which permit forward motion of said tracks while said rear bushings are situated in said notches communicating with said rear slots.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said front and rear bushings each have a distal end and include a collar formed on the distal end, and said adjuster plates include an enlarged opening at the bottom of each of said slots just sufficient for passage of said collar.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising recess means in communication with the side of each of said adjuster plates adjacent the panels for receiving said collar when said bushings are slidably engaged in said slots and said notches.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said slots and said notches are positioned to provide an incremental adjustment in height from the base of the upright panels to any desired height within a predetermined range.

11. An article of furniture comprising:

a pair of uprights spaced from each other;

first plate means fixed to one of said uprights, and second plate means fixed to the other of said uprights, said first and second plate means being in opposing relation to each other; and

a shelf positioned between said uprights and having an article-supporting surface, a first side edge adjacent to one of said uprights and a second side edge adjacent to the other of said uprights, the shelf having a first pair of projections extending outward from its first side edge in a direction away from said second side edge, and a second pair of projections extending outward from its second side edge in a direction away from said first side edge, the projections of each of said first and second pairs of projections from each other by the same distance;

wherein the first plate means comprises first and second vertically extending slots in parallel relationship to each other with the first slot spaced forward of the second slot by a distance such that the first and second slots can respectively receive the projections of the first pair of projections while the article-supporting surface is in a predetermined relationship to the horizontal and the projections of the first pair of projections can be moved vertically, in said first and second slots simultaneously, to allow for vertical movement of said shelf;

wherein the second plate means comprises third and fourth vertically extending slots in parallel relationship to each other, with the third slot spaced forward of the fourth slot by a distance such that the third and fourth slots can respectively receive the projections of the second pair of projections while the article-supporting surface is in said predetermined relationship to the horizontal and the projections of the second pair of projections can be moved vertically, in said third and fourth slots simultaneously with each other, and simultaneously with the movement of the projections of the first pair of projections in said first and second slots, to allow for vertical movement of said shelf;

wherein each of said first, second, third and fourth vertically extending slots has a set of vertically spaced notches extending therefrom, each notch being capable of receiving one of said projections from the vertically extending slot from which the notch extends and supporting said one of said projections against downward movement;

wherein the first and third vertically extending slots are disposed opposite to each other and constitute a front pair of slots and the second and fourth vertically extending slots are disposed opposite to each other and constitute a rear pair of slots;

wherein each of the notches of the slots of one of the front and rear pairs of slots curves downward forming a pocket adapted to receive one of said projections from the vertically extending slot from which the notch extends and restrain the last-mentioned projection against forward and rearward movement; and

wherein each of the notches of the slots of the other of the front and rear pairs of slots is straight and slants downward to receive a projection from the vertically extending slot from which the notch extends and permits forward and rearward motion of the last-mentioned projection;

whereby the shelf can be securely supported on said uprights with the article supporting surface of the shelf disposed at least at two different angles relative to the horizontal.

12. A workstation for a computer terminal comprising, in combination:

a console having a pair of upright side panels having opposed interior sides;

first and second adjuster plate means fixed in facing relation to each other, plate means being attached to an interior side of one of said panels and the other of said plate means being attached to an interior side of the other of said panels, each of said plate means having front and rear vertical slots extending between height limits and rearwardly extending notches communicating with each of said front and rear vertical slots at intervals within said height limits;

a pair of tracks, each having opposite end portions and including front and rear bushings extending from opposite end portions of each said tracks and slidable in said slots and said notches; and

a shelf having opposite ends and slidably supported at said opposite ends by said tracks;

wherein said notches communicating with said front slots curve downward, forming pockets which prevent forward motion of said tracks while said front bushings are seated in said notches communicating with said front slot; and

wherein said notches communicating with said rear slots are straight and slant downward, forming pockets which permit forward motion of said tracks which said rear bushings are situated in said notches communicating with said rear slots.

13. A workstation according to claim 12 wherein said front and rear bushings each have a distal end and include a collar formed on the distal end, and said adjuster plates each include an enlarged opening at the bottom of each of said slots just sufficient for passage of said collar.

14. A workstation according to claim 13 further comprising recess means communication with the side of each of said adjuster plates adjacent the panels for receiving said collar when said bushings are slidably engaged in said slots and said notches.

15. A workstation according to claim 13 wherein said slots and said notches are positioned to provide an incremental adjustment in height from the base of the upright panels to any desired height within a predetermined range.

16. A method for adjusting the height of the shelf in the workstation of claim 13 comprising the steps of:

concomitantly lifting and withdrawing the forward edge of the shelf and tracks from the console until the front and rear bushings register with the front and rear vertical slots;

repositioning the shelf along the slots to selected notches corresponding to the desired height; and

concomitantly moving the shelf and tracks rearwardly into the selected notches until fully seated.

17. A method for adjusting the height of the shelf in the workstation of claim 13 comprising the steps of;

removing the shelf from the tracks, repositioning the tracks in selected notches corresponding to the desired height and replacing the shelf in the track.