Self-braking height adjustment mechanism
First Claim
1. A vertically adjustable workstation comprising:
- a work surface;
a base connected to said work surface, said base having a movable portion and a stationary portion, the work surface being connected to the movable portion;
a vertical adjustment mechanism operably associated with the movable portion and having an automatic braking mechanism for locking the work surface in a vertical position; and
wherein said base includes a first channel therein and said vertical adjustment mechanism comprises a vertically movable ball screw threadingly engaged with a ball nut rigidly secured within the first channel, the ball screw being operatively connected to said work surface and said automatic braking mechanism and wherein said automatic braking mechanism comprises a clutch assembly disposed around a portion of the ball screw, the clutch assembly allowing for free rotation of the ball screw when the ball screw is rotated in a first direction and engaging the ball screw for rotation therewith when the ball screw is rotated in a second direction.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vertically adjustable workstation comprises one or more legs having a vertical adjustment mechanism which provides an automatic self-braking function. The vertical adjustment mechanism comprises a highly efficient rotating member, such as a ball screw and ball nut assembly. Securely attached to the ball screw and the work surface is a clutch mechanism. The clutch mechanism has on one end a friction cap which is frictionally engaged with the work surface, and a thrust bearing which provides a first rotational interface between the ball screw and the clutch mechanism. The clutch mechanism comprises a roller clutch which allows for free rotation of the ball screw in the upward direction and is engaged with the ball screw when rotated in a downward direction. This arrangement comprises a load path which is directed from the work surface through the mating friction surfaces, the clutch mechanism and thrust bearing into the ball screw. The frictional rotational interface between the table and the friction cap of the clutch mechanism provides the self-braking feature such that backwinding of the table is prevented. A collapsible handle is operatively connected to the ball screw.
110 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A vertically adjustable workstation comprising:
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a work surface; a base connected to said work surface, said base having a movable portion and a stationary portion, the work surface being connected to the movable portion; a vertical adjustment mechanism operably associated with the movable portion and having an automatic braking mechanism for locking the work surface in a vertical position; and wherein said base includes a first channel therein and said vertical adjustment mechanism comprises a vertically movable ball screw threadingly engaged with a ball nut rigidly secured within the first channel, the ball screw being operatively connected to said work surface and said automatic braking mechanism and wherein said automatic braking mechanism comprises a clutch assembly disposed around a portion of the ball screw, the clutch assembly allowing for free rotation of the ball screw when the ball screw is rotated in a first direction and engaging the ball screw for rotation therewith when the ball screw is rotated in a second direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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12. A vertically adjustable workstation comprising:
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a work surface; a base connected to said work surface, said base having a movable portion and a stationary portion, the work surface being connected to the movable portion; and a vertical adjustment mechanism operably associated with the movable portion and having an automatic braking mechanism for locking the work surface in a vertical position, wherein said vertical adjustment mechanism comprises a rotating member operatively connected to said work surface and said braking mechanism comprises a clutch assembly operatively connected to said rotating member, wherein the clutch assembly allows for free rotation of the rotating member when rotated in a first direction and engages the rotating member for rotation therewith when the rotating member is rotated in a second direction. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A self-braking adjustment mechanism comprising:
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a movable portion; a stationary portion; a lifting device operatively associated between the movable portion and a load to be lifted, whereby rotation of a rotating member causes the movable portion to be translated with respect to the stationary portion; and a braking means connected to the lifting device such that the rotating member is freely rotated when operated to translate the movable portion in a first direction and said brake means is engaged with the lifting device when the rotating member is operated to translate the movable portion in a second direction.
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21. A vertically adjustable desk comprising:
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a base assembly comprising a stationary portion having a channel and a movable portion disposed in the channel; a desk top operatively associated with the movable portion; and a vertical adjustment mechanism attached to the movable portion to move the movable portion with respect to the stationary portion to vertically adjust the desk top, the vertical adjustment mechanism including a vertically movable ball screw attached to the movable portion and threadingly engaged with a ball nut attached to the stationary portion and an automatic braking mechanism for preventing backwinding of the desk top. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification