Adjustable desk platform

• US 9,277,809 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Varidesk LLC
• Original Assignee: Varidesk LLC
• Inventors: Flaherty, Daniel G., Patton, David, Wang, Sheng Chien
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US14/714,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20150250303A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 108/17, 108/96, 108/95, 108/138, 108/65, 108/69, 108/43, 108/50.01, 108/50.02, 108/92, 108/48
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/0335 mounted under the worksurface
• 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 21/03 with substantially horizontally extensible or adjustable parts other than drawers, e.g. leaves
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/0314 Platforms for supporting office equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/04 characterised by means for holding or fastening typewriters or computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0041 Height adjustable table top with parallel link arms
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 9/00 Tables with tops of variable height lecterns with variable height A47B19/06; school forms or desks with variable height A47B39/02, A47B41/02; seats with variable height A47C3/20
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 9/16 with means for, or adapted for, inclining the legs of the table for varying the height of the top, e.g. with adjustable cross legs
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 9/18 with additional top or additional legs for varying the height of the top

Abstract

An adjustable desk platform can include: an upper platform defining a substantially planar work surface; a base located beneath the upper platform, the base defining a bottom surface without legs that is adapted to sit on an existing desk; first and second sets of arms coupling the upper platform to the base, wherein the first and second sets of arms are adapted for movement of the upper platform substantially in parallel with the base between a fully raised position and a fully lowered position; and a user-operable locking mechanism associated with the upper platform, the locking mechanism adapted to releasably lock the upper platform in the fully raised position, and in at least one intermediate position between the fully raised position and the fully lowered position. Other features and embodiments are discussed.

Claims

1. An adjustable desk platform comprising:

an upper platform defining a substantially planar work surface, the upper platform defining a recess;

a base located beneath the upper platform, the base having a bottom that is adapted to sit on an existing desk; and

first and second sets of arms coupling the upper platform to the base, wherein the first and second sets of arms are adapted for movement of the upper platform substantially in parallel with the base between a raised position and a lowered position;

a locking mechanism associated with the upper platform, the locking mechanism adapted to releasably lock the upper platform in the raised position, and in at least one intermediate position between the raised position and the lowered position, the locking mechanism comprising;

a first anchor biased into a locked position to immobilize the first set of arms;

a second anchor biased into a locked position to immobilize the second set of arms;

a first handle user-operable to move the first anchor into an unlocked position to permit movement of the first set of arms; and

a second handle user-operable to move the second anchor into an unlocked position to permit movement of the second set of arms;

the adjustable desk platform further comprising;

a keyboard tray suspended below the recess in the upper platform, wherein the keyboard tray defines first and second lateral edges;

a first support bracket extending between the first lateral edge of the keyboard tray and a first lateral side of the recess; and

a second support bracket extending between the second lateral edge of the keyboard tray and a second lateral side of the recess;

wherein the surface area of the keyboard tray is less than one half of the surface area of the upper platform.

2. The adjustable desk platform of claim 1, wherein the substantially planar work surface is unobstructed.

3. The adjustable desk platform of claim 1, wherein the upper platform moves laterally with respect to the base when moved from the lowered position to the raised position.

4. The adjustable desk platform of claim 3, wherein the base includes a counterweight adapted to offset weight of the upper platform when in the raised position.

5. The adjustable desk platform of claim 1, wherein the first and second support brackets comprise metal brackets.

6. The adjustable desk platform of claim 1, wherein the first and second lateral sides of the recess in the upper platform are joined by a third side that is angled with respect to the first lateral side and the second lateral side.

7. The adjustable desk platform of claim 6, wherein the first and second lateral sides of the recess are transverse to the third side of the recess.

8. The adjustable desk platform of claim 1, further comprising:

a first spring associated with the first set of arms, the first spring adapted to bias the upper platform toward the raised position; and

a second spring associated with the second set of arms, the second spring adapted to bias the upper platform toward the raised position.

9. The adjustable desk platform of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of arms are laterally spaced apart from one another, the adjustable desk platform further comprising:

a reinforcement member extending between the first set of arms and the second set of arms.

10. The adjustable desk platform of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the base is without legs.

11. An adjustable desk platform comprising:

an upper platform defining a substantially planar work surface, the upper platform defining a recess;

a base located beneath the upper platform, the base having a bottom that is adapted to sit on an existing desk; and

first and second sets of arms coupling the upper platform to the base, wherein the first and second sets of arms are adapted for movement of the upper platform substantially in parallel with the base between a raised position and a lowered position;

a keyboard tray suspended below the recess in the upper platform, wherein the keyboard tray defines first and second lateral edges;

a first support bracket extending between the first lateral edge of the keyboard tray and a first lateral side of the recess; and

a second support bracket extending between the second lateral edge of the keyboard tray and a second lateral side of the recess;

wherein the surface area of the keyboard tray is less than one half of the surface area of the upper platform.

12. The adjustable desk platform of claim 11, further comprising:

a locking mechanism associated with the upper platform, the locking mechanism adapted to releasably lock the upper platform in the raised position, and in at least one intermediate position between the raised position and the lowered position, the locking mechanism comprising;

a first anchor biased into a locked position to immobilize the first set of arms;

a second anchor biased into a locked position to immobilize the second set of arms;

a first handle user-operable to move the first anchor into an unlocked position to permit movement of the first set of arms; and

a second handle user-operable to move the second anchor into an unlocked position to permit movement of the second set of arms.

13. The adjustable desk platform of claim 11, wherein the substantially planar work surface is unobstructed.

14. The adjustable desk platform of claim 11, wherein the first and second lateral sides of the recess in the upper platform are joined by a third side that is angled with respect to the first lateral side and the second lateral side.

15. The adjustable desk platform of claim 14, wherein the first and second lateral sides of the recess are transverse to the third side of the recess.

16. The adjustable desk platform of claim 11, wherein the first and second sets of arms are laterally spaced apart from one another, the adjustable desk platform further comprising:

a reinforcement member extending between the first set of arms and the second set of arms.

17. The adjustable desk platform of claim 11, further comprising:

a first spring associated with the first set of arms, the first spring adapted to bias the upper platform toward the raised position; and

a second spring associated with the second set of arms, the second spring adapted to bias the upper platform toward the raised position.

18. The adjustable desk platform of claim 11, wherein the bottom of the base is without legs.

19. An adjustable desk platform comprising:

an upper platform defining a substantially planar work surface, the upper platform having first and second hand apertures extending therethrough;

a base located beneath the upper platform, the base having a bottom that is adapted to sit on an existing desk;

first and second sets of arms coupling the upper platform to the base, wherein the first and second sets of arms are adapted for movement of the upper platform substantially in parallel with the base between a raised position and a lowered position; and

first and second locking mechanisms associated with the upper platform, each of the first and second locking mechanisms including;

an anchor biased into a locked position to immobilize one of the first or second sets of arms, respectively, and

a user operable handle adapted to move the anchor into an unlocked position to permit movement of the first or second set of arms, respectively,

wherein the handles of the first and second locking mechanisms are mounted to an underside of the upper platform substantially adjacent to a respective one of the hand apertures.

20. The adjustable desk platform of claim 19, wherein each of the first and second hand apertures defines an elongated slot.

21. The adjustable desk platform of claim 19, wherein each of the first and second hand apertures is laterally offset from the substantially adjacent handle by between about 2 inches and 4 inches.

22. An adjustable desk platform comprising:

an upper platform defining a substantially planar work surface, and a lower surface opposite the work surface;

first and second mounting brackets extending below the lower surface of the upper platform, the first and second mounting brackets laterally spaced apart from one another;

a base located beneath the upper platform, the base having a bottom that is adapted to sit on an existing desk;

first and second sets of arms connecting the base to the first and second mounting brackets, respectively, the first and second sets of arms adapted to move the upper platform substantially in parallel with the base between a raised position and a lowered position; and

a first locking mechanism associated with the first set of arms, the first locking mechanism comprising;

a first anchor coupled to the first mounting bracket, the first anchor adapted to releasably lock the first set of arms in position with respect to the first mounting bracket, and a first handle mounted to the lower surface of the upper platform, the first handle user-operable to unlock the first set of arms.

23. The adjustable desk platform of claim 22, wherein the first anchor is resiliently biased toward a position that locks the first set of arms into position with respect to the first mounting bracket.

24. The adjustable desk platform of claim 22, wherein the bottom of the base is without legs.

25. The adjustable desk platform of claim 22, wherein the first and second sets of arms are laterally spaced apart from one another, the adjustable desk platform further comprising:

a reinforcement member extending between the first set of arms and the second set of arms.

26. The adjustable desk platform of claim 22, further comprising a keyboard tray attached to the upper platform.

27. The adjustable desk platform of claim 22, further comprising:

a first linkage extending between the first handle and the first anchor.

28. The adjustable desk platform of claim 22, wherein the first locking mechanism comprises:

a plurality of perforations located in one of the first set of arms;

a locking set fixed with respect to the upper platform, the locking set including the first anchor, wherein the first anchor is adapted to selectively engage at least one of the plurality of perforations; and

a linkage connecting the first anchor and the first handle, wherein the first handle is adapted to selectively move the first anchor out of engagement with the at least one of the plurality of perforations.

29. The adjustable desk platform of claim 28, further comprising:

a boss located on one of the first set of arms;

a compression spring having a first end fixed in position with respect to the base, and a second end attached to the boss, wherein movement of the upper platform toward the raised position relaxes the compression spring; and

a cantilever spring having a first end fixed in position with respect to the base, and a second end opposite to the first end, wherein movement of the upper platform toward the lowered position causes the boss to contact the second end of the cantilever spring and to bend the cantilever spring.