Adjustable footrest for adjustable-height desk

• US 9,961,990 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2013
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Original Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Inventors: Benden, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Troy, Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): AYRES, TIMOTHY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/946,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20140020606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 108 5014, 10814411, 108147, 3123199
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/00 Details of tables or desks drawers A47B88/00; feet for furniture in general A47B91/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/02 with vertically-adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/02 with vertical adjustable parts
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0053 Flat lifting device for desks with two telescopic sections
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0097 Foot rest being part of desk
• 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 97/00 Furniture or accessories for furniture, not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

An adjustable desk has base members or sidewalls supporting the desk on a surface. Each sidewall has at least one support movably vertically relative to the sidewall. A tabletop is disposed above the base member and is supported on the supports. A footrest is disposed between the base members beneath the tabletop and can move between a back position toward a back of the desk and a front position toward a front of the desk. One or more mechanisms operatively couple to at least one of the supports and to the footrest. The one or more mechanisms move the at least one support vertically relative to the base member to raise and lower the tabletop relative to the sidewall. Likewise, the one or more mechanisms move the footrest between the back and front positions. Preferably, movement of the footrest is coordinated with the movement of the tabletop so that the footrest moves to the front position when the tabletop is raised for standing and moves to the back position when the tabletop is lowered for sitting.

Claims

1. A desk, comprising:

a tabletop;

at least one base member supporting the tabletop;

a footrest movably disposed on the at least one base member beneath the tabletop, the footrest having a back position toward a back of the desk and having a front position toward a front of the desk;

a first gas spring disposed on the at least one base member and operatively coupled to a rotating gear on the footrest;

a second gas spring disposed on the at least one base member, the second gas spring operatively coupled to the tabletop and operatively linked to the first gas spring; and

a controller operatively coupled to the first and second gas springs such that movement of the footrest is automatically coordinated with movement of the tabletop to automatically position the footrest in the front position when the tabletop is moved from lowered positions past a user standing height toward raised positions, and to automatically position the footrest in the back position when the tabletop is moved from the raised positions past a user sitting height toward the lowered positions,

wherein the tabletop toward the raised positions above the user standing height corresponds to the footrest positioned in the front position and the tabletop toward the lowered positions below the user sitting height corresponds to the footrest positioned in the back position.

2. The desk of claim 1, wherein the at least one base member comprises a support supporting the tabletop above the at least one base member and movable vertically relative to the at least one base member.

3. The desk of claim 2, wherein the first gas spring is operatively coupled to the support and moves the support vertically to raise and lower the tabletop between the raised and lowered positions.

4. The desk of claim 1, wherein the at least one base member comprises adjacent base members supporting the tabletop, wherein the footrest is disposed between the adjacent base members beneath the tabletop.

5. The desk of claim 1, wherein in the concurrent movement between the footrest and the tabletop, the footrest positions in the front position in direct response to the tabletop moves past the user standing height and separate from the tabletop completing the movement to one of the raised positions past the user standing height.

6. The desk of claim 1, wherein the user standing height is different from the user sitting height.

7. The desk of claim 1, further comprising at least one limit switch responsive to the movement of the tabletop and associated with at least one of the user sitting height and the user standing height.

8. A desk, comprising:

at least one base member having at least one support movable vertically relative to the at least one base member;

a tabletop supported on the at least one support above the at least one base member;

a footrest movably disposed on the at least one base member beneath the tabletop, the footrest having a back position toward a back of the desk and having a front position toward a front of the desk; and

a second gas spring disposed on the at least one base member and operatively coupled to the at least one support;

a first gas spring disposed on the at least one base member and operatively coupled to a rotating gear on the footrest; and

a controller operatively coupled to the first and second gas springs such that movement of the footrest is automatically coordinated with movement of the tabletop to position, the controller moving the at least one support vertically relative to the at least one base member to raise and lower the tabletop relative to the at least one base member past user standing and sitting heights and concurrently positioning the footrest in the back and front positions,

wherein the controller and the first and second gas springs automatically coordinate the movement of the at least one support for the tabletop between lowered and raised positions past the user standing and sitting heights to the movement of the footrest between the back and front positions,

wherein the footrest is automatically positioned in the front position when the tabletop is moved from the lowered positions past the user standing height toward the raised positions, and

wherein the footrest is automatically positioned in the back position when the tabletop is moved from the raised positions past the user sitting height toward the lowered positions.

9. The desk of claim 8, wherein the at least one base member comprises adjacent base members disposed underneath the tabletop, wherein the footrest is disposed between the adjacent base members.

10. The desk of claim 8, wherein the first gas spring comprises an arm pivotably connected to the at least one base member;

wherein the footrest comprises a rest connected to the arm; and

wherein the rest pivots with the arm to position in the back and front positions.

11. The desk of claim 10, wherein the rest comprises a cross member having an end connected to the arm.

12. The desk of claim 8, wherein the footrest comprises a rest connected in a channel in the at least one base member, wherein the rest slides in the channel to position in the back and front positions.

13. The desk of claim 12, wherein the rest comprises a cross member having an end disposed in the channel.

14. The desk of claim 8, wherein the footrest comprises a platform pivotably connected to the at least one base member, the platform pivotable to the back position in which the platform extends vertically under the tabletop and pivotable to the front position in which the platform extends horizontally under the tabletop.

15. The desk of claim 8, wherein the second gas spring comprises a gas spring incorporated into, part of, or coupled to the at least one support.

16. The desk of claim 8, wherein in the coordinated movement between the at least one support and the footrest, the footrest positions in the back position in direct response to the tabletop moves past the user sitting height and separate from the tabletop completing the movement to one of the lowered positions past the user sitting height.

17. The desk of claim 8, further comprising at least one limit switch responsive to the movement of the tabletop and associated with at least one of the user sitting height and the user standing height.

18. An adjustable footrest for use below a work surface, comprising:

at least one base member disposed below the work surface;

a rest movably disposed on the at least one base member, the rest having a back position toward a back of the work surface and having a front position toward a front of the work surface;

a gas spring disposed on the at least one base member and operatively coupled to a rotating gear on the rest; and

a controller operatively coupled to the gas spring and positioning the rest in the back and front positions,

wherein the controller automatically coordinates the position of the rest in the back and front positions with movement of the work surface between lowered and raised positions relative to the at least one base member past user standing and sitting heights,

wherein the rest being automatically positioned in the front position corresponds to the work surface being moved from the lowered positions past the user standing height toward the raised positions, and

wherein the rest being automatically positioned in the back position corresponds to the work surface being moved from the raised positions past the user sitting height toward the lowered positions.

19. The footrest of claim 18, wherein the at least one base member comprises adjacent base members disposed beneath the work surface, wherein the rest is disposed between the adjacent base members.

20. The footrest of claim 18, wherein the rest comprises:

an arm pivotably connected to the at least one base member;

a cross member connected to the arm; and

wherein the cross member pivots with the arm to position the rest in the back and front positions.

21. The footrest of claim 20, wherein the cross member comprises a bar having an end connected to the arm.

22. The footrest of claim 18, wherein the rest comprises:

a cross member connected in a channel in the at least one base member,

wherein the cross member slides in the channel to position the rest in the back and front positions.

23. The footrest of claim 22, wherein the cross member comprises a bar having an end disposed in the channel.

24. The footrest of claim 18, wherein the rest comprises a platform pivotably connected to the at least one base member, the platform pivotable to the back position in which the platform extends vertically under the work surface and pivotable to the front position in which the platform extends horizontally under the work surface.

25. The footrest of claim 18, wherein the controller comprises a gas spring incorporated into, part of, or coupled to the rest.

26. The footrest of claim 18, wherein the controller comprises an electric actuator operatively coupled to the rest and operable to move the rest.

27. The footrest of claim 26, wherein the electric actuator comprises a rotatable motor or a linear actuator.

28. The footrest of claim 18, wherein the gas spring is operatively linked to the movement of the work surface via a controller;

and wherein the controller and the gas spring concurrently coordinate the position of the footrest with the movement of the work surface via the controller.

29. The footrest of claim 18, further comprising at least one limit switch responsive to the movement of the tabletop and associated with at least one of the user sitting height and the user standing height.