Height adjustable table

• US 5,224,429 A
• Filed: 04/17/1991
• Issued: 07/06/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Inventors: Pierce, Paul M., Gingrich, Bryan R., Borgman, Randall W., Cleair, William L., Osterman, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US07/686,798
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 108/144, 108/147, 108/50, 108/20, 108/22, 248/188.5, 248/188.1, 248/188.4
• US Class Current: 108/147
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/033 with parts added to the original furniture to enlarge its surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0027 Desks with I-shaped leg
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0046 Desks with double worktop of which one at least is separately height adjustable
• 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 9/04 with vertical spindle

Abstract

A work station, particularly for supporting a computer, having separate front and back tops having separate powered drive arrangements for permitting independently height adjustment. The drive arrangement includes a separate drive motor associated with each top, with the motors being controlled by a controller, such as a microprocessor. The controller is preferably controlled by an operator using a portable keypad control which can be positioned on one of the tops. The controller can be programmed by the operator to permit storage of a number of predetermined height locations each defining distinct heights for both tops.

Claims

1. A table comprising:

a base assembly including right and left floor-engaging members, right and left upright pedestals fixed to the respective right and left floor-engaging members and projecting vertically upwardly therefrom in sidewardly spaced but generally parallel relation, each said pedestal including vertically elongate front and rear lower legs which project vertically upwardly in generally parallel relation, each said lower leg comprising a hollow tube which opens upwardly at an upper end thereof;

a front table assembly vertically movably supported on said base, said assembly including a horizontally-enlarged worksurface-defining front top having vertically elongate right and left upper legs fixed to and projecting downwardly in cantilevered relation from said front top, said upper legs projecting downwardly in sidewardly spaced but generally parallel relation with said right and left upper legs being vertically slidably telescopically engaged within respective right and left front lower legs;

a rear table assembly vertically movable supported on said base, said assembly including a horizontally-enlarged worksurface-defining front top having vertically elongate right and left upper legs fixed to and projecting downwardly in cantilevered relation from said rear top, said upper legs projecting downwardly in sidewardly spaced but generally parallel relation with said right and left upper legs being vertically slidably telescopically engaged within respective right and left rear lower legs;

a rotary-to-linear motion converting lifting means coacting with each telescoped pair of upper and lower legs for effecting raising or lowering of the respective upper leg, the lifting means associated with each pair of telescopically engaged upper and lower legs being free of mechanical driving connection with any other said lifting means;

each said lifting means comprising a drive coupling rotatably supported on the respective pedestal in coaxial alignment with the respective lower leg adjacent a lower end thereof, a rotary screw shaft extending vertically and substantially coaxially of the respective lower leg, said screw shaft having a lower end nonrotatably engaged with the respective drive coupling, said screw shaft having and upper end disposed in the vicinity of the upper end of the respective lower leg, the upper end of said screw shaft being free of support by said legs, a nut assembly rotatably engaged with said screw shaft, and means for releasably coupling said nut assembly in nonrotatable engagement with the respective upper leg in close proximity to a lower free end thereof; and

right and left drive motor means mounted in the respective right and left pedestals for drivingly rotating the screw shafts associated with the respective pedestals, each said right and left motor means including separate front and rear electric motors respectively drivingly engaged with the screw shafts associated with the respective front and rear lower legs.

2. A table according to claim 1, wherein said nut assembly is disposed interiorly of said upper leg adjacent the lower free end thereof, and said releasable coupling means includes annular bushing means mounted exteriorly on said upper leg adjacent the lower free end thereof and disposed for slidable engagement within the respective lower leg, said bushing means being circumferentially split into at least two arcuate members, said bushing means having means cooperating with said nut assembly for holding the nut assembly nonrotatable relative to said upper leg.

3. A table according to claim 1, wherein each said pedestal defines therein a narrow upright compartment disposed between the respective front and rear lower legs, and the respective said motor means being positioned within the respective compartment.

4. A table according to claim 1, wherein each of said motors comprises a low-voltage direct-current motor.

5. A table according to claim 4, including AC/DC transformer means mounted interiorly of one of said pedestals for converting alternating current electrical energy to direct-current electrical energy, said transformer means having elongate flexible cord means coupled thereto and adapted for connection to a standard AC receptacle, controller means disposed interiorly of one of said pedestals for controlling energization of said motors, said controller means being electrically connected to the direct current side of the transformer means, and operator-activated control means disposed remotely from said controller means for controlling activation thereof.

6. A table according to claim 5, wherein said control means includes a portable pendant-type keypad control removably positionable on one said top and connected to said controller means for controlling activation thereof.

7. A table comprising:

a base assembly including right and left floor-engaging members, right and left upright pedestals fixed to the respective right and left floor-engaging members and projecting vertically upwardly therefrom in sidewardly spaced but generally parallel relation, each said pedestal including vertically elongate front and rear lower legs which project vertically upwardly in generally parallel relation, each said lower leg comprising a hollow tube which opens upwardly at an upper end thereof;

a front table assembly vertically movably supported on said base, said assembly including a horizontally-enlarged worksurface-defining front top having vertically elongate right and left upper legs fixed to and projecting downwardly in cantilevered relation from said front top, each said upper leg comprising a hollow tube which opens downwardly at a lower end thereof, said upper legs projecting downwardly in sidewardly spaced but generally parallel relation with said right and left upper legs being vertically slidably telescopically engaged with respective right and left front lower legs;

a rear table assembly vertically movable supported on said base, said assembly including a horizontally-enlarged worksurface-defining front top having vertically elongate right and left upper legs fixed to and projecting downwardly in cantilevered relation from said rear top, each said upper leg comprising a hollow tube which opens downwardly at a lower end thereof, said upper legs projecting downwardly in sidewardly spaced but generally parallel relation with said right and left upper legs being vertically slidably telescopically engaged with respective right and left rear lower legs;

a rotary-to-linear motion converting lifting means coacting with each telescoped pair of upper and lower legs for effecting raising or lowering of the respective upper leg, the lifting means associated with each pair of telescopically engaged upper and lower legs being free of mechanical driving connection with any other said lifting means;

each said lifting means including an elongate rotary screw shaft extending interiorly of and in coaxial alignment with the respective telescoped pair of upper and lower legs, said screw shaft being axially confined by but rotatably and axially held by the other leg and rotatably engaged with said screw shaft; and

right and left drive motor means mounted in the respective right and left pedestals for drivingly rotating the screw shafts associated with the respective pedestals, each said right and left motor means including separate front and rear motors respectively drivingly engaged with respective screw shafts of the respective front and rear lower legs, each of said motors comprising a low-voltage direct-current electric motor.

8. A table according to claim 7, including a single AC/DC transformer mounted interiorly of one of said pedestals for converting alternating current electrical energy to direct-current electrical energy, said transformer means having elongate flexible cord means coupled thereto and adapted for connection to a standard AC receptacle, controller means disposed interiorly of one of said pedestals for controlling simultaneous energization of the two said motors as associated with the right and left front legs and for also controlling simultaneous energization of the two said motors associated with the right and left rear legs, said controller means being electrically connected to the direct current side of the transformer, and operator-activated control means disposed remotely from said controller means for controlling activation thereof.

9. A table according to claim 8, wherein each said pedestal defines therein a narrow upright compartment disposed between the respective front and rear lower legs, and said motor means being positioned within the respective compartment.

10. A table according to claim 7, including brake means associated with each lifting means for preventing rotation of the respective screw shaft when the respective motor is de-energized.

11. A table according to claim 7, wherein one of the legs of each telescopically engaged pair is slidably telescoped interiorly of the other leg of said pair, said one leg having an annular bushing stationarily mounted thereon in exterior surrounding relationship thereto adjacent the free end of the respective leg, said bushing being axially slidably engaged within the other leg, said bushing being circumferentially split into at least two arcuate members, said arcuate members having projections which project interiorly of said one leg for creating a nonrotatable engagement with the nut assembly so as to maintain the nut assembly nonrotatable with respect to said one leg.

12. A table comprising:

a base assembly including right and left floor-engaging members, right and left upright pedestals fixed to the respective right and left floor-engaging members and projecting vertically upwardly therefrom in sidewardly spaced but generally parallel relation, each said pedestal including vertically elongate front and rear lower legs which project vertically upwardly in generally parallel relation, each said lower leg comprising a hollow tube which opens upwardly at an upper end thereof;

a front table assembly vertically movably supported on said base, said assembly including a horizontally-enlarged worksurface-defining front top having vertically elongate right and left upper legs fixed to and projecting downwardly in cantilevered relation from said front top, said upper legs projecting downwardly in sidewardly spaced but generally parallel relation with said right and left upper legs being vertically slidably telescopically engaged within respective right and left front lower legs;

a rear table assembly vertically movable supported on said base, said assembly including a horizontally-enlarged worksurface-defining front top having vertically elongate right and left upper legs fixed to and projecting downwardly in cantilevered relation from said rear top, said upper legs projecting downwardly in sidewardly spaced but generally parallel relation with said right and left upper legs being vertically slidably telescopically engaged with respective right and left rear lower legs;

a rotary-to-linear motion converting lifting means coacting with each telescoped pair of upper and lower legs for effecting raising or lowering of the respective upper leg, the lifting means comprising;

a drive coupling rotatably support on the respective pedestal in coaxial alignment with said lower leg adjacent a lower end thereof,

a rotary screw shaft extending vertically and substantially coaxially of said lower leg, said screw shaft having a lower end nonrotatably engaged with said drive coupling, said screw shaft having an upper end disposed in the vicinity of the upper end of said lower leg, the upper end of said screw shaft being free of support by said legs,

a nut assembly rotatably engaged with said screw shaft, said nut assembly being disposed interiorly of said upper leg adjacent the lower free end thereof,

means for releasably coupling said nut assembly in nonrotatable engagement with said upper leg in close proximity to a lower free end thereof and including annular bushing means mounted exteriorly on said upper leg adjacent the lower free end thereof and disposed for slidable engagement within the respective lower leg, said bushing means being circumferentially split into at least two arcuate members, said bushing means having means cooperating with said nut assembly for holding the nut assembly nonrotatable relative to said upper leg; and

right and left drive motor means mounted in the respective right and left pedestals for drivingly rotating drive screws associated with the respective pedestals.

13. A table comprising:

a base assembly including sidewardly spaced and nonconnected right and left floor-engaging members, right and left lower legs respective fixedly secured to the right and left floor-engaging members and projecting vertically upwardly therefrom in generally parallel and cantilevered relationship, each said lower leg comprising a hollow tube which opens upwardly at an upper end thereof;

a table assembly vertically movably supported on said base assembly, said table assembly including a horizontally enlarged worksurface-defining top having vertically elongate right and left upper legs fixed to and projecting downwardly in cantilevered relation from said top, said upper legs projecting downwardly in sidewardly but generally parallel relation with said right and left upper legs being vertically slidably telescopically engaged with the respective right and left front lower legs;

a rotary-to-linear motion converting lifting means cooperating with each telescoped pair of upper and lower legs for effecting raising or lowering of the respective upper leg, the lifting means associated with the right telescoped pair of upper and lower legs being free of mechanical driving connection with the left telescoped pair of upper and lower legs;

each said lifting means including an elongate screw shaft extending vertically and substantially coaxially of the respective lower leg and being rotatably supported relative to the respective lower leg, and a nut assembly rotatably engaged with the respective screw shaft, the nut assembly being nonrotatably coupled with the respective upper leg adjacent a lower free end thereof;

bushing means mounted on said upper leg adjacent the lower free end thereof and maintained in axial sliding engagement with the respective lower leg, said bushing means including a pair of separable arcuate bushing members which are mounted on said upper leg in substantially diametrically opposite locations, said arcuate bushing members having parts which project radially inwardly in close proximity to said nut assembly for preventing rotation of said nut assembly; and

right and left electric drive motors mounted in the respective right and left pedestals for drivingly rotating the respective screw shafts associated with the respective right and left lower legs, each said drive motor comprising a low-voltage direct-current motor.