Lift system

• US 6,189,849 B1
• Filed: 05/06/1998
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ergotron Incorporated (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Original Assignee: Ergotron Incorporated (Melrose Industries Plc)
• Inventors: Showalter, Matthew J., Sweere, Harry C.
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Anita M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAXTER, GWENDOLYN WRENN
• Application Number:
  US09/073,655
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 248/918, 248/917, 248/920, 248/291.1, 248/295.11, 248/286.1, 248/276.1
• US Class Current: 248/286.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/0314 Platforms for supporting office equipment
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/30 with co-moving side-struts
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/028 by positive interaction, e.g. male-female connections
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/048 for balancing translational movement of the undercarriage

Abstract

Low side profile flat panel monitor/keyboard lift system for the storage of and the display of a flat panel monitor and keyboard in space restricted rooms or passageways. The flat panel monitor and keyboard tray are mounted in common to a vertically aligned transport assembly which is influenced by a linkage assembly.

Claims

1. A lift system for raising at least one component from a fully down position to a desired vertically elevated position, comprising:

a. a vertically oriented support panel having a front side, a rear side, and opposite vertical edges;

b. a vertically elevatable transport assembly attached to said front side of said vertically oriented support panel, said vertically elevatable transport assembly being movable from the fully down position to the desired vertically elevated position and including;

(1) first and second spaced apart vertically oriented and vertically movable rails mounted to said front side of said vertically oriented support panel adjacent to respective said opposite vertical edges; and

(2) a first mounting member bridging said first and second spaced apart vertically oriented and vertically movable rails and being secured thereto; and

,

c. means attached to said vertically oriented support panel between said first and second spaced apart vertically oriented and vertically movable rails for providing supported vertical linear motion and positioning of said vertically elevatable transport assembly with respect to said vertically oriented support panel and for maintaining said vertically elevatable transport assembly at the desired vertically elevated position when raised above the fully down position.

2. The lift system as defined in claim 1, wherein said vertically oriented support panel includes first and second vertically oriented channels adjacent to said opposite vertical edges, and wherein said first and second vertically oriented and vertically movable rails are respectively slideably mounted in said first and second vertically oriented channels.

3. The lift system as defined in claim 2, wherein said vertically oriented support panel further includes a first cover covering said first vertically oriented channel and said first vertically oriented and vertically movable rail slideably mounted therein, and a second cover covering said second vertically oriented channel and said second vertically oriented and vertically movable rail slideably mounted therein.

4. The lift system as defined in claim 1, wherein said vertically elevatable transport assembly further includes a pivot mount attached to said mounting member at a position substantially centered between said first and second spaced apart vertically oriented and vertically moveable rails.

5. The lift system as defined in claim 1, wherein said vertically elevatable transport assembly further includes a second mounting member bridging said first and second spaced apart vertically oriented and vertically moveable rails and being secured thereto, said second mounting member being spaced vertically from said first mounting member.

6. The lift system as defined in claim 5, wherein said vertically elevatable transport assembly further includes a pivot mount attached to one of said mounting members at a position substantially centered between said first and second vertically oriented and vertically moveable rails.

7. The lift system as defined in claim 5, wherein said vertically elevatable transport assembly further includes two pivot mounts, one of said two pivot mounts being attached to said first mounting member at a position substantially centered between said first and second vertically oriented and vertically moveable rails, and the other of said two pivot mounts being attached to said second mounting member at a position substantially centered between said first and second vertically oriented and vertically moveable rails.

8. The lift system as defined in claim 1, wherein said vertically elevatable transport assembly further includes an abutment assembly attached to said second vertically oriented and vertically movable rail at a position below said mounting member.

9. The lift system as defined in claim 8, wherein said abutment assembly includes a plate member.

10. The lift system as defined in claim 9, wherein said abutment assembly further includes a wear bar attached to said plate member.

11. The lift system as defined in claim 10, wherein said wear bar is formed of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene.

12. The lift system as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for providing supported vertical linear motion and positioning of said vertically elevatable transport assembly with respect to said vertically oriented support panel and for maintaining said vertically elevatable transport assembly at a desired vertically elevated position when raised above the fully down position comprises a counterbalancing linkage assembly composed of an angle bracket, an adjuster, an arm, and a gas spring.

13. The lift system as defined in claim 12, wherein said adjuster, said arm and said gas spring all lie parallel to said front side of said vertically oriented support panel.

14. The lift system as defined in claim 12, wherein each of said adjuster, said arm, and said gas spring has first and second ends, and wherein said angle bracket is fixed to said vertically oriented support panel at a location closely adjacent to said first vertically oriented and vertically moveable rail, said first end of said adjuster is secured to said angle bracket, said first end of said arm is pivotally connected to said vertically oriented support panel at a connection point located above said angle bracket and closely adjacent to said first vertically oriented and vertically moveable rail, said second end of said adjuster is located below said connection point of said first end of said arm to said vertically oriented support panel and is pivotally connected to said first end of said gas spring, said second end of said gas spring is pivotally connected to said arm at a connection point located between said first and second ends of said arm, and said second end of said arm is positioned closely adjacent to said second vertically oriented and vertically moveable rail.

15. The lift system as defined in claim 14, wherein said adjuster is moveable along said angle bracket and said first end of said adjuster includes an adjuster screw for use in moving said adjuster along said angle bracket to regulate a counterbalance effect provided by said linkage assembly.

16. The lift system as defined in claim 14, wherein said second end of said arm includes a cam.

17. The lift system as defined in claim 16, wherein said vertically elevatable transport assembly further includes an abutment assembly attached to said second vertically oriented and vertically moveable rail, and wherein said cam is engageable with said abutment assembly.

18. The lift system as defined in claim 17, wherein said abutment assembly includes a wear bar against which said cam bears and along which said cam slides during elevation of said vertically elevatable transport assembly.

19. The lift system as defined in claim 1, wherein said vertically elevatable transport assembly further includes a keyboard tray attached to said mounting member.

20. The lift system as defined in claim 19, wherein said keyboard tray is attached to said mounting member by a pivot mount which permits the keyboard tray to pivot from a horizontal use position to a vertical stowed position parallel to said vertically oriented support panel.

21. The lift system as defined in claim 20, wherein said pivot mount includes a locking mechanism for simultaneously locking said keyboard tray in said horizontal use position and said vertically elevatable transport assembly in a vertically elevated position.

22. The lift system as defined in claim 21, wherein said front side of said vertically oriented support panel has mounted thereon a position locking bar having a plurality of vertically spaced holes therein, said mounting member has a hole therethrough selectively alignable with any hole of said plurality of vertically spaced holes in said position locking bar, and said locking mechanism includes a pushrod which is moveable into said hole in said mounting member and an aligned hole in said position locking bar.

23. A lift system for raising a flat panel monitor and a keyboard from a fully down position to a desired vertically elevated position, comprising:

a. a vertically oriented support panel having a front side, a rear side, and opposite vertical edges; and

,

b. a vertically elevatable transport assembly attached to said front side of said vertically oriented support panel, said vertically elevatable transport assembly being moveable from a fully down position to a desired vertically elevated position and including;

(1) first and second spaced apart vertically oriented and vertically moveable rails mounted to said front side of said vertically oriented support panel adjacent to respective said opposite vertical edges;

(2) first and second vertically spaced apart mounting members bridging said first and second vertically oriented and vertically moveable rails and being secured thereto, said first mounting member being located above said second mounting member;

(3) an abutment assembly fixedly attached to said second vertically oriented and vertically moveable rail at a location between said first and second mounting members;

(4) a first pivot mount for supporting a flat panel monitor attached to said first mounting member; and

,

(5) a second pivot mount supporting a keyboard tray attached to said second mounting member; and

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c. a linkage assembly positioned between said first and second vertically oriented and vertically moveable rails and attached to said vertical support panel at a location between said first and second mounting members, said linkage assembly having a fixed end and a moveable end, said fixed end being fixed to said vertically oriented support panel closely adjacent to said first vertically oriented and vertically moveable rail, and said moveable end bearing against said abutment assembly attached to said second vertically oriented and vertically moveable rail.

24. The lift system as defined in claim 23 wherein said keyboard tray is pivotable about said second pivot mount from a horizontal use position to a vertical stowed position parallel to said vertically oriented support panel.