GB2366228A

GB2366228A - Modular workbench

Info

Publication number: GB2366228A
Application number: GB0021347A
Authority: GB
Inventors: William Barry
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-08-31
Filing date: 2000-08-31
Publication date: 2002-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 2020-08-31
Also published as: GB2366228B; GB0021347D0

Abstract

A free standing modular workbench assembly 1 for the provision of an air venting environment around the workbench assembly comprises at least two spaced apart main pillars 2. A tabletop work unit 10 is provided for securement to the pillars, which has at least two telescopic ground engaging legs 11 remote from the pillars to form a free standing workbench assembly. Each pillar and leg is channel shaped in cross section (see fig 4), and is adapted for the reception of an air pipe (7, fig 6) forming part of the air venting means. Exit holes 6 and keyholes 5 are provided in the pillars and legs for reception of fixing means and at least one other work unit may be provided, eg a canopy (30, fig 7) for mounting above the workbench between the two pillars. The canopy may have an air vent adjacent each pillar, adapted for connection to an air pipe of the assembly. The canopy may form part of an extractor hood in which the air venting means includes an extractor fan.

Description

<Desc/Clms Page number 1> "A modular workbench assembly" Introduction The present invention relates to a free standing modular workbench assembly of the type having at least two spaced-apart upright main pillars comprising a lower base foot and a free top end, said pillars having vertically spaced-apart locations for the releasable securement of one or more work units thereto.

Somewhat similar modular workbenches have been described in GB Patent Specification No. 2339275 of my co-pending UK Patent Application No. 9915876.8 filed on July 8, 1999. Such a modular workbench is extremely efficient in use, however, the construction of upright, which is a hollow right angle cruciform shape in cross section having four projecting arms in which each arm has an outer face and two side faces, is relatively expensive to produce. Further, it has been found that in many assembly and fabrication operations, particularly of electronic products, while, having a pipe forming an air handling means positioned within at least one hollow cruciform pillar, allows for very good ventilation, in certain instances, it is not sufficient. There has been found the need for even better air extraction than has heretofore been considereo= necessary.

The term "work unit" is used in this specification to include not just simply tabletops and the like surfaces that are considered to be worktops, but anything that holds equipment or simply storage baskets for parts, storage equipment for tools such as drills, soldering irons, spanners, test equipment and other devices and also work units, shelves units, tool rails, light fittings and computer monitor shelK.es, all of which can be applied to the definition of worktops. For the purposes of this specification, the term "air handling means " is deemed to include ventilators, air extractors, air conditioning apparatus, air heaters or any combination or variation thereof. In this specification, the term "pipe" is used to include ducting, conduit trunking, tubing, piping or similar hollow or board units.

Problems are encountered especially in computer manufacturing, electronics and medical manufacturing industries where there is a large diversity in product ranges.

Conventional workbenches, once erected, are usually time consuming and complicated to disassemble and reassemble. There is a need, in these industries, for a workbench to be disassembled and reassembled relatively quickly, indeed the bench may be disassembled and moved from one production facility to another. The bench may have to be adjusted in height to accommodate different products.

A further problem that occurs with workbenches of this type is that they are often ergonomically unsuitable due, to the nature of their manufacture. Such production lines which accommodate many different types of products, indeed there may be separate production lines, the need to move one bench from one production line to another requires that the bench be adaptable.

A problem occurs with conventional workbenches in that, while a particularly large component or assembly is placed on top of the work surface, there is no provision for the work surface to be lowered. Thus, the operator has to stretch or indeed adjust his height to work on the component. This leads to problems such as repetitive strain injury (RSI) and is not ideal as the operator now has the added problem of standing on a raised surface, stepladder or the like which has resulted, in the past, in operators falling off and injuring themselves.

Typically, problems are encountered, especially in the computer manufacturing, electronics and medical manufacturing industries where clean room facilities are employed. There is very tough legislation governing these industries. The elimination of contaminants and gases are of the utmost importance. It is well known to provide such modular workbenches with extraction systems, however, heretofore such extraction systems have been cumbersome and have been secured to a number of benches fixing them in position. Indeed, it is rare that a provision for extracting further benches which may need to be added is ever provided.

The present invention is directed towards providing an improved construction of such a modular workbench.

Statements of Invention According to the invention, there is provided a free standing modular workbench assembly for the provision of an air flow and air venting environment around the working area of the workbench assembly comprising at least two spaced-apart upright main pillars forming the rear of the assembly and comprising a lower base foot and a free top end, said pillars having vertically spaced-apart locations for the releasable securement of one or more work units thereto; a work unit comprising a tabletop for securement to the pillars intermediate the top end and the base at the anchorage locations on the pillar, said tabletop having at least two ground engaging table legs remote from the pillars to form a free standing workbench assembly and in which each pillar and leg is channel-shaped in cross section, having a base and two upstanding free channel legs, each of .these channels facing to the rear of the workbench assembly and in which each table leg is telescopic, formed from two channel sections nesting one inside the other, each pillar and leg being adapted for reception within it of an air pipe forming part of an air handling means and in which each pillar and leg is provided with utility exit holes and with keyholes along its length for reception of fixing means and at least one other work unit comprising a canopy for mounting above the workbench between two pillars, an air vent in the canopy adjacent each pillar and adapted for connection to an air pipe and in which the air handling means includes an air extractor fan for connection to at least one of the air pipes of the modular assembly and an air delivery fan for connection to another air pipe of the modular assembly to provide an air flow across the workbench.

Ideally, the tabletop comprises an upper work piece supporting perforated sheet on an extractor trough, the extractor trough being connected to an air pipe connected to the air handling means.

In this latter embodiment, there may be more than one air pipe connected to the trough. When there are more than one air pipe connected to the trough, the air pipes connected to the trough are connected to an air extract fan and the air pipes connected to the canopy are connected to an air delivery fan. Ideally, the trough incorporates a trapdoor.

In one embodiment of the invention, the tabletop has additional table legs for securement to the pillars, the channels forming each pillar and table leg nesting with their bases contacting, the .connected pillar and leg forming a telescopic pillar assembly. At least some of the utility exit holes in each pillar and contacting leg are coincident.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a free standing modular workbench assembly according to the invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another modular workbench assembly according to the invention, Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the lines 111-11I of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the lines 1V-IV of Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the modular workbench assembly illustrated in Fig. 2, Fig. 6 is a front view of another work piece attached to a modular workbench assembly such as the assembly of Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 7 is a sectional view along the lines VII-VII of Fig. 6, Fig. 8 is a front view of portion of another assembly, Fig. 9 is an exploded view of a tabletop work unit,

Fig. 10 is a view of pipework used with the work piece illustrated in Fig. 9, and Fig. 11 is a sectional view through another construction of pillar according to the invention.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Fig. 1, there is illustrated a modular workbench assembly, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1, comprising a pair of spaced-apart upright main pillars 2. Each main pillar 2 has a lower base foot 3 and a free top end 4. In this case, the lower base foot 3 forms a ground engaging member. Each. pillar has spaced-apart locations, in this case, keyholes 5 for securement of one or more work units thereto and-has further utility exit holes 6. Mounted inside one of the upright pillars 2 is an air pipe 7. Other air pipes are also provided but are not illustrated. Each upright pillar 2 is of channel shape having a base 8 and two upstanding free channel legs 9.

Mounted against the main pillars 2 is a work unit, in this case, comprising a tabletop 10, the tabletop 10 having two ground engaging table legs indicated generally by the reference numeral 11. Each table leg 11 is formed from two channel sections, namely, an outer channel section 12 and an inner nesting channel section 13. Each channel section 12 and 13 is again formed from a base 14 and upstanding free legs 15. Again, the channel sections 12 and 13 are provided with keyholes 5 and utility exit holes 6 as for the pillars. Suitable leg stays formed from channel sections 17 and 18 are provided. A rail 19 is provided between the main pillars 2. What is not shown in this embodiment but will be described later is the various ways in which the work units and the air pipes may be used.

Referring now to Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, there is illustrated an alternative construction of workbench, indicated generally by the reference numeral 20, in which parts similar to those described with reference to the previous drawings are identified by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, there are provided four tabletop legs 11 identical in construction to the tabletop legs 11 previously described. In this embodiment, the upright pillars 2 are connected to the channel sections 12 forming the two rear upright table legs 11 so that effectively now the upright main pillars 2 are telescopic. Figs. 3 and 4 show how a pipe could be lead around the channel sections

17 and 18 to allow air extraction or air delivery to various parts of the modular workbench assembly, all of which is not shown in this embodiments.

Referring now to Figs. 6 and 7, there is shown portion of a work piece, in this case, an extractor hood 30 mounted on two upright main pillars 2, each, in this embodiment, housing an air pipe 7, one of which is an air delivery pipe and the other is an air extract pipe. It can be seen clearly how they project out through the utility exit holes 6.

Referring to Fig. 8, there is illustrated a still further arrangement in which additional air pipes 7 are illustrated projecting out across a work table 10 for the extraction of air. Again, parts similar to those described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7 are identified by the same reference numerals.

Referring now to Figs. 9 and 10, there is illustrated an alternative construction of work piece, in this case, a perforated tabletop 40 in which parts similar to those described with reference to the previous drawings are identified by the same reference numerals. In this embodiment, there are four telescopic table legs 11 mounting an upper frame formed from channel sections 41 for support of the tabletop 40. Two of the channel sections 41 support nozzles 42 for connection to air pipes 7 as will be described later. An extractor trough, indicated generally by the reference numeral 45, having air inlet holes 46 and a trapdoor 47 shown in the open position, is mounted beneath the perforated tabletop 40.

Referring now to Fig. 10, there is shown an air extract pipe 7 and subscript letters are used to identify portions of the pipe. Thus, for example, two air extract pipes 7(a) are used to connect to a suitable extract hood, while two air extract pipes 7(b) are used to extract air from above the perforated worktop 40, while air extract pipes 7(c) connect to the extract trough 45.

Fig. 11 shows that in fact rather than one air pipe 7, there could be two air pipes side- by-side or indeed many more air pipes mounted within the main pillar 2 or, although not illustrated, mounted within any channel shape section.

In the specification the terms "comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising" or any variation thereof and the terms "include, includes, included and including" or any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the claims.

Claims

CLAIMS T. A free standing modular workbench assembly for the provision of an air flow and air venting environment around the working area of the Workbench assembly comprising at least two spaced-apart upright main pillars forming the rear of the assembly and comprising a lower base foot and a free top end, said pillars having vertically spaced-apart locations for the releasable securement of one or more work units thereto; a work unit comprising a tabletop for securement to the pillars intermediate the top end and the base at the anchorage locations on the pillar, said tabletop having at least two ground engaging table legs remote from the pillars to form a free standing workbench assembly and in which each pillar and leg is channel-shaped in cross section, having a base and two upstanding free channel legs, each of these channels facing to the rear of the workbench assembly and in which each table leg is telescopic, formed from two channel sections nesting one inside the other, each pillar anti leg being adapted for reception within it of an air pipe forming part of an air handling means and in which each pillar and leg is provided with utility exit holes and with keyholes along its length for reception of fixing means and at least one other work unit comprising a canopy for mounting above the workbench between @rvo pillars, an air vent in the canopy adjacent each pillar and adapted for connection to an air pipe and in which the air handling means includes an air extractor fan for connection to at !east one of the air pipes of the modular assembly and an air delivery fan for connection to another air pipe of the modular assembly to provide an air flow across the workbench.
2. A workbench as claimed in claim 1, in which the tabletop comprises an upper work piece supporting a perforated sheet on an extractor trough, the extractor trough being connected to an air pipe connected to the air handling means.
3. A workbench as claimed in claim 2, in which there is more than one air pipe connected to the trough.
4. A workbench as claimed in claim 3, in which the air pipes connected to the

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trough are connected to an air extract fan and the air pipes connected to the canopy are connected to an air delivery fan.
5. A workbench as claimed in claim 2 or 3, in which the trough 'incorporates a trapdoor.
6. A workbench as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the tabletop has additional table legs for securement to the pillars, the channels forming each pillar and table leg nesting with their bases contacting, the connected pillar and leg forming a telescopic pillar assembly.
7. A workbench as claimed in any preceding claim, in which at least some of the utility exit holes in each pillar and contacting leg are coincident. 8: A workbench substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.