GB2173695A

GB2173695A - A work table

Info

Publication number: GB2173695A
Application number: GB08509775A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Fang Fang Lay
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-04-17
Filing date: 1985-04-17
Publication date: 1986-10-22
Also published as: GB8509775D0

Abstract

A work table for computer use which includes two vertically movable table members (23,24) and a mechanism by which the two table members (23,24) can be respectively raised or lowered the mechanism comprising two transmission means for respectively transmitting the driving force to the two table members (23,24) and a clutch member, for selectively engaging with one or the other of the two transmission means. Drive may be transmitted from a handwheel (26) to the members (23,24) via worm gearing and rack and pinion mechanisms. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A work table The present invention relates to a work table, and particularly to a table designed to suit the requirements of a computer operator.

A computer operator may be required to work at a computer for an extended period of time during which instructions are typed from a keyboard into the computer, and the information is read from the computer via a monitor mounted in front of the operator. Therefore, the ideal computer work table is one which enables all such functions be carried out in comfort. Many kinds of computer work tables have been designed to satisfy these requirements. For example, a known computer work table is shown in Figure 1, which comprises a first table member 14 on which a monitor is placed and which also has legs 16, a second table member 12 on which a keyboard is placed and which also has legs 17, and a support 18 for receiving the legs 16 and 17 to permit the first table member 14 and second table member 12 to be vertically movable.

Vertical movement is obtained by respectively rotating the handles 19, 19 to effect a rack-and-pinion mechanism (not shown in the figures) to raise or lower the first table member 12 or second table member 14, therefore, after the two table members 12, 14 are raised or lowered, it is necessary to operate an additional fixing means (in Figure 1, it is a bolt with a handwheel 20) to fix the legs 16 and 17 onto the support 18. Further, as the movement of the tables 12, 14 are controlled by two separate mechanisms, it is also inconvenient to operate.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a work table having two vertically movable table members which also include an improved mechanism, by which an operator can raise or lower either of the two table members more conveniently.

It is another object of the invention to provide a table having two vertically movable table members, which do not need an additional fixing means for fixing the two table members which have been raised.

In order to attain the above-mentioned objects, the computer table of the present invention comprises: a support; a first table member including a first leg portion which is movable with respect to the support; a second table member including a second leg portion which is movable with respect to the sup port; a driving means for effecting the movement of the first leg portion and second leg portion; a first transmission means for transmitting the driving force of the driving means to the first leg portion; a second transmission means for transmitting the driving force of the driving means to the second leg portion; a clutch means disposed on the driving means and selectively engageable with the first transmission means or the second transmission means to transmit the driving force of the driving means to either one of the first and second leg portions.

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the driving means includes a driving shaft rotatably mounted with respect to the support and axially slidable, the driving shaft adapted to be driven manually or by a motor.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the first transmission means includes a first worm gearing mechanism having a first worm sleeved onto the driving shaft, a first rack-and-pinion mechanism driven by the first worm gearing mechanism and having a first rack mounted on the first leg portion, and a second transmission means, which includes a second worm gearing mechanism, having a second worm which is also sleeved on the driving shaft, a second rack-and-pinion mechanism driven by the second worm gearing mechanism and having a second rack mounted on the second leg portion.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the clutch means is disposed between the first worm and the second worm and includes a short tubular member having a pair of spaced, opposite protrusions at both of its sides and the first worm and the second worm respectively including a tubular portion at the end near of the tubular member, which having a pair of notches to engage with the protrusions, so that when the driving shaft is moved axially, the tubular member will selectively engage with the first worm or the second worm.

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a known computer table described above; Figure 2 is a side view of the known computer table of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a computer table of the invention with a portion broken away; Figure 4 is an exploded view illustrating the interconnection of the driving means, the clutch member, and the first and second transmission means; Figure 5 is an exploded view illustrating the connection in relation to the rack-and-pinion mechanism with the support; and Figure 6 is an exploded view illustrating how the sliding member is connected to the table member.

Referring to Figure 3, there is shown a table formed of a first table member 23 having a leg portion 60a, a second table member 24 having a leg portion 60b, two supports 21, 22, a mechanism 30, a front cover 25, and a handwheel 26. Second table member 24 is of suitable dimensions to carry the monitor (visual display unit) of the computer terminal, and first table member 23 is used to carry a keyboard attached to the monitor by an electrical lead. First table member 23 and second table member 24 are movable in height by rotating only the handwheel 26 to operate the mechanism 30.

The mechanism 30 includes a driving means, a transmission means, a clutch means, which means will be described in detail in the following para graphs respectively. The mechanism 30 is mounted under the second table member 23 and is hidden by the front cover 25.

Referring to Figure 4, a transmission casing 31 is formed of four plates 311,312,313,314 and is partitioned into three spaces 32, 33, 34 by two partition members 315, 316. Four circular holes 37, 38, 39, 40 are respectively formed in the plate 311, partitions member 315, 316, plate 312 and are arranged in a straight line. In the plates 313, 314 of the chamber 32 and 34, two pairs of symmetric circular holes 317, 372 are also formed. A driving shaft 41 having the handwheel 26 is inserted through the circular holes 37, 38, 39, 40 and mounted thereon while a worm 36, a clutch member 42 and a second worm 35 are respectively sleeved onto the driving shaft 31. The driving shaft 31 is rotatable with respect to the casing 31 and axially slidable.The first worm 36 and the second worm 35 are rotatably supported in the holes 39, 40 as well as 37, 38 with their two ends respectively while the clutch member 42 is disposed between the worms 36 and 35, being fixed on the driving shaft 41 with a bolt 44. The clutch member 42 is, in fact, a short tube having a pair of spaced, diametrically opposite protrusions 43, 46 at its two ends, and the first worm 36 and second worm 35 also respectively include a pair of notches 47, 45 at the end near the tubular member 42 to engage with the protrusions 43, 46 of the clutch member.

Therefore, by the handwheel 26 being pulled towards the operator, protrusions 43 will engage the notches 47 of the first worm 36, and by the handwheel 26 being pushed forward, protrusions 46 will engage the notches 45 of the second worm 35.

A first worm wheel 48 which is driven by the rotation of the first worm 36 is fixed on a first shaft 51 supported in the circular holes 372, 373, where the second worm 35 has the same mechanism to transmit force to the shaft 50. Referring now to Figure 5, support 21 is a plate-shaped leg having two elongated vertically extending bores 61, 62 and two circular holes 78, 78 formed along the thickness direction of the support which communicates with the elongated bores 61, 62 respectively.

Two tubular sliding members 63, 64 are slidably received in the two bores 61, 62. A rack 66 is secured to the inner side of the sliding member 63.

The rack 66 is driven by meshing with a pinion 70 fixed on the shaft 74 which is inserted into the circular holes 78. The shaft 74 is coupled with the shaft 50.

Figure 6 shows that the sliding member 64 is fixed to the edge 81 of the second table member 24 by bolts 82 and 83. By such a mechanism as described above, which pulls the driving shaft out to engage with the first worm and then rotates, the first table member 23 can be raised or lowered, and pushes the driving shaft to engage with the second worm then rotates, the second table member 24 can be raised or lowered. Further, when comparing it to the known computer table, the computer table of the present invention, as it uses the worm gearing mechanism, when either of the table members is raised, makes it unnecessary to use an additional fixing means to fix the table members on the support.

With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that obvious modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; it is therefore intended that the invention be limited ony as indicated in the ap

Claims

pended claims. CLAIMS

1. Aworktable comprising: a support; a first table member including a first leg portion which is movable with respect to said support; a second table member including a second leg portion which is movable with respect to said support; a driving means for effecting the movement of said first leg portion and second leg portion; a first transmission means for transmitting the driving force of said driving means to said first leg portion; a second transmission means for transmitting the driving force of said driving means to said second leg portion; a clutch means disposed on said driving means and selectively engageable with said first transmission means or said second transmission means to transmit the driving force of said driving means to either one of said first or second leg portions.

2. A work table as claimed in claim 1, wherein said driving means includes a driving shaft rotatably mounted with respect to said support and axially slidable, said driving shaft being adapted to be driven by hand or a motor.

3. A work table as claimed in claim 2, wherein said first transmission means includes a first worm gearing mechanism having a first worm sleeved onto said driving shaft, a first rack-and-pinion mechanism driven by said first worm gearing mechanism and having a first rack mounted on said first leg portion, and wherein said second transmission means includes a second worm gearing mechanism having a second worm which is also sleeved on said driving shaft, and a second rack-and-pinion mechanism driven by said second worm gearing mechanism and having a second rack mounted on said second leg portion.

4. A work table as claimed in claim 3, wherein said clutch means is disposed between said first worm and said second worm and includes a short tubular member having a pair of spaced, opposed protrusions at both of its sides, said first worm and said second worms respectively including a tubular portion at the end nearest to said tubular member, each tubular portion having a pair of notches to engage with said protrusions, so that, by said driving shaft being moved axially, said tubular member will selectively engage with said first worm or said second worm.

5. A work table substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 3 to 6 of the accompanying drawings.