Workstation having automated and powered height, depth and rotational adjusters

• US 9,167,894 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sparx Smart Pods Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sparx Smart Pods Inc.
• Inventors: DesRoches, Lon, Black, Nancy Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US13/914,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20140208986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 108/20, 108/21, 108/50.01, 108/50.02, 108/147, 108/138, 108/139, 297/217.3, 297/170, 297/172, 297/135, 297/138, 454/228, 400/682, 400/681, 361/379.22, 361/679.6, 361/79.22, 361/679.66, 312/223.6, 312/223.1, 312/195
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 11/00 Tables with tops revolvable on vertical spindles
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/081 Movable, extending, sliding table tops
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2083/025 Computer workstation with integrated seat
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/00 Tables or desks for office equipment, e.g. typewriters, keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/02 with vertical adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0072 Computer work stations with integrated seat or chair
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 9/20 Telescopic guides
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 3/01 for supporting or guiding the pipes, cables or protective tubing, between relatively movable points, e.g. movable channels
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

A workstation is disclosed including a tabletop, a frame, a support coupled to the tabletop and the frame for supporting the tabletop vertically above the frame, and a powered rotator coupled to the frame. The powered rotator may be configured to move the support and the tabletop horizontally along an arcuate path with respect to a user position. The user position and a center of curvature of the arcuate path may each be disposed away from a forward edge of the tabletop. A method of moving a tabletop of a workstation is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A workstation comprising:

a tabletop;

a frame;

a support coupled to the tabletop and the frame for supporting the tabletop vertically above the frame, and

a powered rotator coupled to the frame, the powered rotator driving the support and the tabletop to move horizontally along an arcuate path relative to the frame,

wherein a center of curvature of the arcuate path is disposed away from a forward edge of the tabletop.

2. The workstation of claim 1, further comprising:

a cable management system comprising a first cable conduit extending between a first position on the frame, and a second position proximate the powered rotator,

a path length of the first cable conduit being at least a distance between the first position and a third position along the arcuate path that is farthest from the first position.

3. The workstation of claim 2, wherein:

the first cable conduit is flexible and configured to form an auxiliary loop when the powered rotator is at a fourth position along the arcuate path that is closer to the first position than the distance between the first position and the third position.

4. The workstation of claim 2, wherein:

the support comprises a powered height adjuster for adjusting a vertical height of the tabletop; and

the cable management system further comprises a second cable conduit coupled to the first cable conduit at the second position, and the tabletop,

a path length of the second cable conduit being at least a distance between the second position and the tabletop when the powered height adjuster adjusts the vertical height of the tabletop to a maximum height.

5. The workstation of claim 4, wherein:

the second cable conduit is flexible and slack in the second cable conduit forms an auxiliary loop when the powered height adjuster adjusts the vertical height of the tabletop to a second height less than the maximum height.

6. The workstation of claim 5, wherein:

at least one of the first cable conduit and the second cable conduit comprises a chain of pivotally connected conduit links.

7. The workstation of claim 1, wherein:

the frame further comprises a guide rail defining the arcuate path, and

the powered rotator is coupled to the guide rail and configured to move along the guide rail.

8. The workstation of claim 7, wherein:

the powered rotator is coupled to the guide rail by a plurality of rollers.

9. The workstation of claim 8, wherein:

the plurality of rollers make roiling contact with a plurality of faces of the guide rail.

10. The workstation of claim 7, wherein:

the powered rotator further comprises a drive assembly,

the frame further comprises a drive belt extending through the drive assembly, and

the drive assembly acts upon the drive belt to move the powered rotator along the guide rail.

11. The workstation of claim 10, wherein:

the powered rotator further comprises a gear that engages the drive belt, and a motor drivingly coupled to the gear, and

when the motor rotates the gear, the gear applies a tensile force to the drive belt thereby urging the powered rotator to move along the guide rail.

12. The workstation of claim 11, wherein:

the drive belt has a surface profile that meshes with teeth of the gear.

13. The workstation of claim 11, wherein:

the powered rotator further comprises first and second guide rollers, and

the drive belt extends between the first guide roller and the gear, and extends between the second guide roller and the gear.

14. The workstation of claim 1, wherein:

the support comprises a powered height adjuster for adjusting a vertical height of the tabletop.

15. The workstation of claim 14, further comprising:

a powered depth adjuster for adjusting a distance between the forward edge of the tabletop and the user position.

16. The workstation of claim 15, wherein:

the powered depth adjuster is operable to move the tabletop horizontally in a direction generally perpendicular to the arcuate path.

17. The workstation of claim 15, wherein the powered rotator, the powered height adjuster and the powered depth adjuster are operable concurrently to move the tabletop in three dimensions at the same time.

18. A method of moving a tabletop of a workstation in one or more dimensions, the workstation including one or more actuators coupled to the tabletop, the method being performed by a controller that is configured to send control signals to the one or more actuators to move the tabletop, the method comprising:

determining an angular range and speed of motion based on a user profile for a user of the workstation; and

moving the tabletop automatically horizontally, by the one or more actuators, at the speed of motion along. an arcuate path extending across the angular range of motion with respect to a support structure of the workstation.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising moving the tabletop, by the one or more actuators, automatically and concurrently between a first height and a second height.

20. The method of dam 18, further comprising moving the tabletop, by the one or more actuators, automatically and concurrently horizontally linearly.