AU704861B2

AU704861B2 - Height adjustment device for furniture, in particular tables

Info

Publication number: AU704861B2
Application number: AU52337/96A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Reinhold Forster
Original assignee: Haefele SE and Co KG
Current assignee: Haefele SE and Co KG
Priority date: 1995-05-19
Filing date: 1996-05-17
Publication date: 1999-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 2016-05-17
Also published as: BR9602325A; ES2122736T3; AU5233796A; JP2775423B2; DE29508298U1; JPH08308655A; ATE168863T1; EP0743033B1; EP0743033A1; DK0743033T3; DE59600375D1

Abstract

The support foot for the furniture leg (1) has an outer thread (5) which is threaded into the threaded ring (2) fitted to the bottom of the leg. A tensioner ring (8) between the threaded ring and a clamping ring (6), with inner thread, controls the relative spacing of the threaded ring and the clamping ring. The tensioner ring is released to allow easy adjustment of the threaded foot and is moved into the tension position to force the threaded ring and the clamping ring to secure grip the thread, without play. The clamping ring is rotationally coupled to the threaded ring by axial tags. The tensioner ring is coupled to the threaded ring by wedge profiles which alter the relative spacing of the two ring by rotating the tensioner ring. An outer sleeve (9) covers the adjustable foot and is slid up to effect the adjustment.

Description

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AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): Hiafele GmbH Co.

9O *o 9 *o 5 .o SoI S ft s 4 ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

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INVENTION TITLE: Height adjustment device for furniture, in particular tables or 5 .55.

55S5 The following statement is a full description of performing it known to me/us:- *5 S S 9 *r*u 9 of this invention, including the best method 7 IR' 7la Height adjustment devices for tables of the type mentioned in the preamble of claim 1 are already known where a foot provided with an external thread is positioned rotatably in the internal thread of a tube, height adjustment being effected by rotating one of the parts. However, table feet of that type having a relatively large adjustment range tend to wobble owing, on the one hand, to the ever present play in the thread and, on the other hand, to the small overlap of the thread parts in the end region. As this is S extremely disadvantageous for tables, particularly writing *g desks, the problem of the present invention is to eliminate in a simple manner the play between the thread parts necessary for adjustihg the foot so that the foot is stabilised in the end'region as well in such a manner that the table remains steady at every height setting.

°To that end, according to the invention, in an adjustment L device of the type described, the internal or the external thread is divided between, on the one hand, the tube or the foot and, on the other hand, a clamping sleeve which is connected in a non-rotatable but axially displaceable J manner to the tube or foot having the other thread part, a tension ring being positioned between the tube or foot and 0 the clamping sleeve and urging them apart by rotary adjustment. By rotating the tension ring, the two thread iparts are urged apart so that the internal and the external thread lock together. In order to move the device to another height setting, the tension ring simply has to be Srotated in the opposite direction so that play is again produced between the two divided thread parts and h- $7 l7 *4 4 .4 0 4 i 4.

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9* *00 4* 2 adjustment is made possible. In principle, it does not matter whether it is the internal thread or the external thread that is divided, nor does it matter on which of the parts that are adjustable relative to one another the divided thread is arranged.

According to another feature of the invention, the tension ring has one or more wedges ,and the part provided with the divided thread and the clamping sleeve have slide faces for the wedge(s). In a preferred embodiment, the foot is provided with the external thread and the tube and the clamping sleeve are provided with the divided internal thread.

A particularly simple' embodiment is obtained when the internal thread part of the tube and the slide faces for the wedges are provided in a press-in sleeve arranged in the tube. In this manner, any tube cw, be used for this purpose without special treatmient.

To connect the clamping sleeve in the direction of rotation to the press-in sleeve, with ?xial mfobility relative to one another, the clamping sleeve is provided with axially projecting extensions which engage in corresponding recesses of the press-in sleeve. As the foot is to be prevented from being complaetely unscrewed from the tube, or the press-in sleeve, the foot is provided at its end facing the tube with a safety peg which protrudes into the thread region. In order to prevent clothing from being soiled by the thread of the foot which may possibly be provided with lubricant, the foot has a cover which protrudes beyond, and is movable on, the tube. Furthermore, it is advantageous if 1 i i rii i 1 Cg ~j %I i

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f -"2P 4 r i 3 the user can readily recognise Ehe extent of the height adjustment. For this purpose, a snap-in pin is provided on the press-in sleeve and co-operates with a longitudinal slot in the foot. Each time the foot completes a rotation, a precisely defined snap-in position is obtained.

The drawings show an embo diment of the invention.

Figure 1 9C Er *t C

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0 44 44 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 is a dismantled, exploded view of a table leg having an adjustable foot, is a cross-section of the assembled parts according to Figure 1, is a bottom view of the press-in sleeve, is a cross-section according to Figure 3, is a top view of the clamping sleeve, is a top view of the tension ring.

The adjustment device according to Figure 1 comprises a tube 1 which, for example, is fastened to a table leaf in a manner not shown. A press-in sleeve 2 is inserted into the lower end of the tube 1 and a table foot 4 having an external thread 5 is screwed into the internal thread 3 of the press-in sleeve. In addition, a clamping sleeve 6 having an internal thread 7 is screwed onto the external thread 5 of the table foot 4, the internal thread part 3 and the internal thread part 7 being parts of a whole thread. Furthermore a tension ring 8, whose functions will

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I IE 1 fSii n" Y i. ri; 4 be described below, is arranged between the press-in sleeve 2 and the clamping sleeve 6. A cover 9, which is also tube-like, is positioned movably on the tube 1 and, as shown in Figure 2, is securely connected to the lower end of the foot To adjust the height of the foot 5, the foot is screwed into the clamping sleeve 6 and the press-in sleeve 2 to a greater or lesser depth, the clamping sleeve 6 being connected to the press-in sleeve 2 in a rotatable but axially movable manner and, to that end, extensions 11 of the clamping sleeve 6 engage in recesses 12 of the press-in sleeve 2 so that both parts are connected in the .direction of rotation, but relatively great axial play is still possible. The tension' ring 8 is positioned rotatably between the press-in sleeve 2 and the clamping sleeve 6 and is provided with three wedges 13 which lie on the slide faces 14 of the press-in sleeve 2 and the slide faces 15 of the'clamping sleeve 6. By rotating the tension ring, the wedges 13 urge the clamping sle.eve 6 and the press-in sleeve 2 apart so that there is no longer any play whatsoever between the external thread 5 of the table foot 4 and the internal thread parts 3 and 7 of the press-in' sleeve 2 in the clamping sleeve 6 1 and the threads are locked against one another. A stable connection between the tube 1 and the foot 5 is thus provided.

In order to readjust the two last-mentioned parts relative to one another, the tension ring 8 is rotated in the 4~9 ii i a z!i rl it _1 i i i 'tb opposite direction so that the clamping sleeve 6 is once again positioned with play on the external thread 5 of the foot 4.

A scale 16,is provided .on the foot 4 for accurate height adjustment. Furthermore, the press-in sleeve 2 also has a snap-in pin 17 which co-operates with a slot (not illustrated) which is provided in the foot 4 and which is opposite the scale 16 so that a snap-in position is obtained for every complete rotation and, in this manner, accurate height adjustment is possible.

The foot 4 has, at its end facing the press-in sleeve 2, a safety peg 18 which protrudes into the thread 5 of the foot 4 and necessarily prevents the foot 4 from being completely unscrewed.

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Claims

1. Height adjustment device for furniture, particularly tables, having a foot which is longitudinally adjustable on or in a tube br the like by means of an internal thread 7) and an external thread characterised in that the internal thread 7) or the external thread is divided between, on the one hand, the tube or the foot and, on the other hand, a clamping sleeve which is connected in a non-rotatable but axially displaceable manner to the tube or foot (4) having the other thread part a tension ring (8) being positioned between the tube or foot and the clamping sleeve and urging them apart by rotary adjustment.

2.Height adjustment device according to claim 1, characterised in that the tension ring (8)""has one or more wedges (13) and the part 6) provided with the divided thread and the clamping sleeve have slide faces (14, 15) for the wedge(s) (13).

3. Height adjustment device according to one or both of the preceding claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the foot is provided with an external thread and the tube. i 2) and the clamping sleeve are provided with the divided internal thread 7).

4. Height adjustment device according to'claim 3, characterised in that the internal thread part of the tube and the slide faces (14) for the wedges (13) are provided in a press-in sleeve arranged in the tube 19" 4 j 7 e4ght adjustment device according to claim 4, c['aracterised in that, to prevent rotation, the clamping sleeve is provided with axially projecting extensions (11) which engage in corresponding recesses (12) of the pressrin sleeve

6. Heiight adjustment device according to one or both of the preceping claims 4 and 5, characterised in that the pr-essL-in sleeve has a snap-in pin (17) which co-opbrates with a longitudinal slot in the foot

7. Heijlght adjustment device according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterised~in that the foot has, at its end facing the tube ,a safety peg (18) which prevehats complete unscrewing a nd which protrudes into the regiozi of the foot's thread

8. Height adjustment device according to~.one or more of the preceding claims, characterised in that the foot has a cover which is arranged on the tube in a longitudinally movable manner. .4 44$ 4I e~ 4* 4 4 4 *A 44 4 4 ~4 4 4 S *4 4 4 4* 4 4 4 o 44 4 4 44 4 .44 4 4" 44 4 4 44 4 4 .4

444. 44 4' 44 44 4, 4 4 44 4 44 4 4 4 *444V44 4 4,44 4 ~4 44 t *444($ 4 DATED this 11th day of December, 1998 HAFELE GntbR- CO. By its Patent Attorneys: DAVIES COLLISON CAV9 <I Abstract Invention to eliminate, in a simple way in the case of height adjustment devices for furniture, in particular tables, comprising a height-adjustable foot (inside or on a tubular ^section or similar) the play necessary for height adjustment. The parts of the thread S* necessary to adjust the foot, the interior thread 3, 7 or the exterior thread 5 are allocated on the one hand to the tubular section 1 or to the foot 4, and on the other hand to a clamping sleeve 6 which is connected, in such a fashion that it cannot be turned but can be moved axially, with the tubular section 1 or foot 4 incorporating the other parts of the i; thread 3, 7, whereby between the foot 4 and the clamping sleeve 6 a tension ring 8 is located which can be adjusted by a turning movement to push these parts apart. *CR I (Fig. 1)