Pivotable board provided with legs

• US 7,634,968 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2002
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Christian Cornelius
• Inventors: Cornelius, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; José V
• Application Number:
  US10/491,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20050039642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,639 Days
• Field of Search: 108/115, 108/124, 108/132, 108/123, 108/128, 108/6, 108/50.01, 108/50.02, 248/188.6, 248/188.7, 248/188.1
• US Class Current: 108/115
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 3/0803 the legs rotating around a vertical axis A47B3/083, A47B3/087 and A47B3/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 3/0818 with manually actuated locking means A47B3/083, A47B3/087 and A47B3/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 7/02 Stackable tables; Nesting tables

Abstract

A pivotable board with at least one leg is provided. The leg is connected to the board with a pivotable fitting. The pivotable fitting has a pivoting axis which is disposed in a slanted position with respect to the board and on which the leg or the board are pivotally mounted.

Claims

1. A pivotable board comprising:

a board having opposing surfaces;

at least one leg connected to one surface of the board through a pivotable fitting having a pivot axis extending along the pivotable fitting; and

wherein the pivot axis is slanted with respect to the one surface of the board to hinge the leg;

wherein movement of the board between a working position and a stored position causes movement of the at least one leg about the pivot axis.

2. The board of claim 1, wherein the board includes a plurality of side surfaces extending between the opposing surfaces to form a plurality of corners thereabout and wherein the pivot axis is slanted with respect to the plurality of corners.

3. The board of claim 1, wherein the pivot axis is in a fixed position relative to the board.

4. The board of claim 3, wherein the leg is hinged about the pivot axis.

5. The board of claim 1, wherein:

the pivotable fitting includes a funneled case having a narrowing taper extending away from the board and a conical element supported therein; and

the pivot axis is aligned along a longitudinal axis of the pivotable fitting.

6. The board of claim 5, wherein the funneled case is fixedly mounted to the board and the conical element is connected to the leg.

7. The board of claim 5, wherein the funneled case and the conical element share a common longitudinal centerline.

8. The board of claim 5, wherein the conical element is connected to the leg with a tubular connector.

9. The board of claim 8, wherein the tubular connector is fixed to a tubular post of the leg through at least one thumbscrew.

10. The board of claim 5, further comprising a clamping bolt extending through the conical element along the pivot axis and, wherein the conical element is at least partially covered by a case to fix the conical element to the board at an end of the case and create a lever that presses the conical element against an inner surface of the case.

11. The board of claim 10, wherein the clamping bolt is screwed into the case.

12. The board of claim 10, further comprising a pressure spring having two opposing ends that surrounds the clamping bolt and, wherein one side of the pressure spring presses against the conical element and the other side of the pressure spring presses against the case.

13. The board of claim 10, wherein the lever includes a lobe configured to press the conical element against the case when the lever is turned.

14. The board of claim 5, wherein the conical element includes friction pads adjacent to an inner surface of the case to provide a frictional surface between the conical element and case to secure the board in a particular pivoted position.

15. The board of claim 1, wherein the pivotable fitting is connected to a mount attached to the board.

16. The board of claim 1, wherein the pivotable fitting provides for adjustment of the board about the pivot axis at any position between the working position and the stored position.

17. A board of claim 1, wherein the pivotable fitting is adjustable with an arresting facility.

18. The board of claim 1 wherein the leg includes casters.

19. The board of claim 1, wherein the board forms a tabletop.

20. The board of claim 1, further comprising a second leg connected to the board through a second pivotable fitting having a second pivot axis and, wherein the second pivot axis is slanted with respect to the one surface of the board to hinge and rotate the second leg.

21. A board comprising:

a worksurface;

at least one leg engaged at a first end with the worksurface to support the worksurface;

at least one foot extending from a second end of the at least one leg;

a pivotable fitting and in a direction slanted with respect to at least one of the worksurface and the at least one leg defining a pivot axis extending along the pivotable fitting and securing the at least one leg to the worksurface to allow the worksurface to be rotated along a first path between a first position where the worksurface is substantially perpendicular to the at least one leg and a second position where the worksurface is substantially parallel with the at least one leg; and

wherein the pivotable fitting is configured such that rotation of the worksurface along the first path between the first position and the second position substantially simultaneously rotates the at least one foot about the pivot axis and along a second path transverse to the first path.

22. The board of claim 21 wherein the worksurface forms a plane extending in two directions and wherein the pivotable fitting is configured to automatically rotate the at least one foot to extend along a first of the two directions when the worksurface is in the first position and a second of the two directions when the worksurface is in the second position.

23. A board comprising:

a worksurface;

at least two legs engaged with the worksurface at a spaced interval to support the worksurface;

at least one foot extending from a second end of each of the at least two legs;

a pivotable fitting securing each of the at least two legs to the worksurface and forming a pivot axis extending along the pivotable fitting and oriented in a direction that is slanted with respect to at least one of the worksurface and a respective leg to allow the worksurface to be rotated along a first path between a first position where the worksurface is substantially perpendicular to each of the at least two legs and a second position where the worksurface is substantially parallel with each of the at least two legs; and

wherein the orientation of the pivot axis allows the at least one foot of each of the at least two legs to be rotated along a second path transverse to the first path in response to rotation of the worksurface along the first path.

24. The board of claim 23 wherein the worksurface forms a plane extending in two directions and wherein the pivotable fitting is configured to automatically rotate the at least one foot to extend along a first of the two directions when the worksurface is in the first position and a second of the two directions when the worksurface is in the second position.