US20130263762A1

US20130263762A1 - Table adjustable in height and pitch

Info

Publication number: US20130263762A1
Application number: US13/442,936
Authority: US
Inventors: Chien-Kuo Chang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-04-10
Filing date: 2012-04-10
Publication date: 2013-10-10

Abstract

A table adjustable in height and pitch is disclosed. The table includes a base, a pair of upper rods, a table board and a first pitch-adjusting mechanism. The base includes a pair of legs, each having a slot and a plurality of dents. The leg and the upper rods include a first included angle. The first pitch-adjusting mechanism serving to adjust the first included angle includes two positioning rods, a lever and a plurality of links. Each of the positioning rods has an insert and the two inserts have an engaged state where they are retained by the dents and a disengaged state where they are slidable along the slots. The links build kinetic connection between the positioning rods and the lever, so that when the lever is operated, the two inserts are switched between the engaged and disengaged states.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field The present invention relates to tables, and more particularly to a table with its table board adjustable in both height and pitch.
2. Description of Related Art
Adjustable tables have been extensively applied as, for example, drawing tables, map display stands, notice boards and so on. Such a table has its table board adjustable in pitch and thus can satisfy users' practical needs.
One example of the known adjustable tables is as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,066. The prior-art table has a pair of front legs, a pair of upper legs and a table board. The front legs are configured to swing with respect to the upper legs, and the upper legs can swing with respect to the table board. Since the angle-adjusting mechanism between the front legs and the upper legs is deposited behind the table board, for table adjustment, a user has to first move to the lateral of the table to operate the angle-adjusting mechanism and then move back to the front of the table to check whether the adjusted pitch is satisfying. Such operation may have to be repeated for several times before the desired pitch is achieved.
Therefore, it would be desirable to have a table allows convenient adjustment of its table board in both pitch and height.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One objective of the present invention is to provide a table whose table board can be conveniently adjusted by a user standing in front of the table.
To achieve this and other objectives of the present invention, the disclosed adjustable table comprises a base, a pair of upper rods, a table board and a first pitch-adjusting mechanism. The base includes a pair of legs, each having a leg top, a slot and a plurality of dents, wherein the dents are separated and arranged abreast along a length of the slot. Each of the upper rods has a first connecting end and a second connecting end. The first connecting end is pivotally connected to the corresponding leg top. The leg and the corresponding upper rod include a first included angle. The table board is connected to the second connecting ends. The first pitch-adjusting mechanism serving to adjust the first included angle includes two positioning rods, a lever and a plurality of links. Each of the positioning rods has a pivotal end and a slotted end. The pivotal end is pivotally connected to the corresponding upper rod. Each of the slotted ends has an insert extending transversely. The two inserts have an engaged state and a disengaged state. In the engaged state, the two inserts are retained in the dents so that the first included angle is fixed. In the disengaged state, the two inserts leave from the dents and are free to slide along the slots, thereby changing the first included angle. The lever swings against a shaft, which is supported by at least one of the upper rods and close to the second connecting end of the upper rod. The links build kinetic connection between the positioning rods and the lever, so that when the lever is operated, the two inserts are switched between the engaged and disengaged states.
With the configuration as described above, the present invention allows a user standing in front of the table board to easily make adjustment by operating the lever to disengage the inserts, changing the first included angle and then releasing the lever to make the table board posed as desired.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an adjustable table according to the present invention, wherein a table board is separated from a base supporting it;

FIG. 2 is a partial, exploded view of the table according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a second pitch-adjusting mechanism of the table;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the table taken along Line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an applied view of the table wherein two inserts thereof are engaged;

FIG. 6 is another applied view of the table wherein the two inserts are disengaged;

FIG. 7 is another applied view of the table wherein the two inserts are engaged and a first included angle is greater than that shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is another applied view of the table wherein the two inserts are disengaged and a second included angle is greater than that shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an adjustable table according to another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While a preferred embodiment provided hereinafter for illustrating the concept of the present invention as described above, it is to be understood that the components of the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings are depicted for the sake of easy explanation and need not to be made to exact scale. Unless otherwise noted, like elements will be identified by identical numbers throughout all figures.
Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a table adjustable in height and pitch is primarily comprised of a base 10, a pair of upper rods 20, a table board 30, a first pitch-adjusting mechanism 40 and a second pitch-adjusting mechanism 50.
The base 10 comprises a pair of legs 11 and a pair of feet that support the legs 11 to stand upright. In another embodiment, the legs 11 may be adjustable in length. Each of the legs 11 has a leg top 14 and a slot 15 deposited near the leg top 14. The slot 15 is provided with a plurality of dents 16 arranged along the length of the slot 15 and communicated with the slot 15.
Each of the upper rods 20 has a first connecting end 21 and a second connecting end 22. The first connecting end 21 is pivotally coupled with the corresponding leg top 14. A first included angle is included by each said leg 11 and the corresponding upper rod 20. Additionally, at least one said upper rod 20 has a lengthwise unit 23 extending along its length. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the upper rods 20 is equipped with the lengthwise unit 23. The lengthwise unit 23 may comprise a shank portion 24 and two fixing segments 25. The two fixing segments 25 are located at two ends of the shank portion 24 for attaching the shank portion 24 to the upper rod 20, such that the shank portion 24 is parallel to and separated from the upper rod 20 itself.
The table board 30 is connected to the second connecting ends 22. Preferably, the table board 30 and each said upper rod 20 include an adjustable second included angle. The table board 30 has two lower arms 31. The lower arm 31 is assembled to the lower surface of the table board 30 and aligned with the corresponding upper rod 20. The lower arm 31 has one end pivotally connected with the second connecting end 22 of the corresponding upper rod 20 and an opposite end left free.
The first pitch-adjusting mechanism 40 serves to adjust the first included angle and comprises two positioning rods 41, a lever 42 and several links. Each of the positioning rods 41 has a pivotal end 411 and a slotted end 412. The pivotal end 411 is pivotally connected to the corresponding upper rod 20, and the slotted end 412 has an insert 413 transversely extending. The two inserts 413 are in either an engaged state or a disengaged state simultaneously. In the engaged state, as shown in FIG. 5, the two inserts 413 are retained by dents 16 of the same height so as to make the first included angle fixed. When the two insert 413 are in their disengaged state, as shown in FIG. 6, they are not retained by any dent 16 and can move along the slot 15 to change the first included angle. The lever 42 swings against a shaft 43 that is supported by at least one said upper rod 20. In the present embodiment, the shaft 43 is connected between the upper rods 20 and close to the second connecting ends 22 of the upper rods 20. Thereby, when the lever 42 is operated, the two inserts 413 are switched between the above-mentioned two states.
Furthermore, the links are connected between and thereby link the positioning rod 41 and the lever 42. The links may include a first transverse link 44, a second transverse link 45, a first vertical link 46 and a second vertical link 47. The first transverse link 44 is connected between the pivotal ends 411 of the two positioning rods 41. The second transverse link 45 is connected between the slotted ends 412 of the two positioning rods 41. The first vertical link 46 is connected between the first and second transverse links 44, 45. The second vertical link 47 is connected between the first vertical link 46 and the lever 42.
Preferably, the disclosed table may further comprise a returning means that returns the two inserts 413 to the engaged state. The returning means comprises at least one elastic member connected between components that have variable angles or lengths. In the present embodiment, two springs 48 are provided between the two upper rods 20 and the first transverse link 44, respectively, for facilitating the foregoing return.
The second pitch-adjusting mechanism 50 serves to adjust the second included angle and has two support arms 51. Each of the support arms 51 can rotate with respect to the table board 30 against a first pivot 52, and can rotate with respect to the corresponding upper rod 20 against a second pivot 53. A distance between the first pivot 52 and the second connecting end 22 defines a first length. A distance between the second pivot 53 and the second connecting end 22 defines a second length. A distance between the first and second pivots 52, 53 defines a third length. Therein, one of the first, second and third lengths is adjustable. Thus, according to the Law of Cosines, change of the adjustable length leads to change of the second included angle.
For instance, in the present embodiment, the second length is adjustable. The first pivot 52 is located between two ends of the lower arm 31. The support arm 51 is directly or indirectly connected to the lengthwise unit 23 of the corresponding upper rod 20. In other embodiments, the adjustable length is the first or third length. U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,066 is an example wherein the third length is adjustable.
Further referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the second pitch-adjusting mechanism 50 also includes a control unit 54, which selectively makes the support arms 51 slide along the lengthwise units 23, thereby adjusting the second length. Preferably, the control unit 54 is composed of an inner tube 55, an outer tube 56 and a knob 57. The outer tube 56 is mounted around the inner tube 55. Additionally, in the present embodiment, the inner and outer tubes 55, 56 pivot on the second pivots 53. The inner tube 55 has two inner through holes 551, and the outer tube 56 has two outer through holes 561. The two inner through holes 551 are aligned with the two outer through holes 561, respectively, so that the shank portions 24 can pass therethrough successively. The knob 57 includes a head 571 for a user to grasp, a screw 572 and a pushing surface 573 located between the head 571 and the screw 572. The screw 572 is partially screwed into one end of the inner tube 55 so that the pushing surface 573 abuts against one end of the outer tube 56. Right rotation of the head 571 of the knob 57 makes the screw 572 and the inner tube 55 further engaged with each other, meaning that the inner tube 55 is drawn toward the head 571, thereby giving the inner tube 55 a force to move in a first direction A. At the same time, as a result of the screwing in of the knob 57, the pushing surface 573 pushes the outer tube 56 to move in a second direction B. As can be seen in FIG. 4, the first and second directions A, B are opposite to each other. Such opposite movements of the inner and outer tubes 55, 56 physically narrow the resultant channel formed by each set of the aligned inner through hole 551 and outer through hole 561. Thereby, the inner and outer tubes 55, 56, with the narrowed channels, can seize tightly and in turn well position the shank portions 24. On the contrary, left rotation of the head 571 of the knob 57 releases the inner tube 55 from the screw 572, making the inner tube 55 leave from the head 571. As a result, the inner and outer tubes 55, 56 return to their initial positions and the narrowed channels formed by the aligned inner through holes 551 and outer through holes 561 are restored to their initial size, thereby allowing the shank portions 24 to move with respect thereto, and in turn allowing the support arms 51 to slide along the lengthwise units 23.
Referring to FIG. 5, the two inserts 413 in the engaged state are retained by the dents 16 of the same height to fix the first included angle between the upper rods 20 and the legs 11.
Referring to FIG. 6, for adjusting the first included angle, the lever 42 is turned outward to disengage the inserts 413 from the dents 16, or enter the inserts 413 into their disengaged state. At this time, the inserts 413 are free to slide along the slots 15, so that an operator standing in front of the table board 30 can easily move the table board 30 to any desired position by adjusting the first included angle.
Now please refer to FIG. 7. After the table board 30 is posed as desired, the lever 42 is pushed inward to make the inserts 413 engage with different dents 16. Alternatively, the operator can simply release the lever 42, and the returning means (i.e. the spring 48) will drive the inserts 413 back to the engaged state to fix the adjusted first included angle.
Referring to FIG. 8, the second included angle can be changed by making the support arms 51 slide along the shank portions 24. At this time, the table board 30 rotates against the second connecting ends 22 and reaches a desired position.
FIG. 9 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention. Therein, the base 10 may comprise a plurality of perforated veneers 17, for covering the components and improving the appearance of the table.
With the configuration as described above, the present invention uses at least one adjustable joint to make the table board adjustable in pitch and height, and allows a user standing in front of the table board to easily make adjustment by operating the lever to disengage the inserts and then changing the first included angle. Thereby, the adjustment of the table board in pitch and height can be accomplished easily and rapidly, thereby satisfying the user's practical needs.
The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments and it is understood that the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Moreover, as the contents disclosed herein should be readily understood and can be implemented by a person skilled in the art, all equivalent changes or modifications which do not depart from the concept of the present invention should be encompassed by the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A table adjustable in height and pitch, the table comprising:

a base including a pair of legs, each said leg having a leg top and a slot that is formed with a plurality of dents, wherein the dents are separated and arranged abreast along a length of the slot;

a pair of upper rods, each having a first connecting end and a second connecting end, wherein the first connecting end of each said upper rod is pivotally connected to a corresponding said leg top, and the leg and the corresponding upper rod include a first included angle;

a table board that is connected to the second connecting ends; and

a first pitch-adjusting mechanism for adjusting the first included angle, the first pitch-adjusting mechanism comprising two positioning rods, a lever and a plurality of links, each said positioning rod having a pivotal end and a slotted end, the pivotal end being pivotally connected to the corresponding upper rod, the slotted end having an insert that extends transversely, the two inserts having an engaged state and a disengaged state, wherein in the engaged state, each of the inserts is retained by one said dent so that the first included angle is fixed, and in the disengaged state, the two inserts leave the dents and become slidable along the slots so as to change the first included angle, the lever swinging against a shaft that is supported by at least one said upper rod and is close to the second connecting end of the upper rod, and the links building kinetic connection between the positioning rods and the lever, so that when the lever is operated, the two inserts are switched between the engaged and disengaged states.

2. The table of claim 1, wherein the shaft is rotatably connected between the two upper rods, and the links comprises a first transverse link, a second transverse link, a first vertical link and a second vertical link, the first transverse link connected between the pivotal ends of the two positioning rods, the second transverse link connected between the slotted ends of the two positioning rods, the first vertical link connected between the first and second transverse links, and the second vertical link connected between the first vertical link and the lever.

3. The table of claim 1, further comprising a returning means that serves to make the two inserts return to the engaged state.

4. The table of any of claims 1 through 3, wherein the table board and the upper rods include a second included angle, and the table further comprises a second pitch-adjusting mechanism for adjusting the second included angle, wherein the second pitch-adjusting mechanism comprises two support arms, in which each said support arm is rotatable with respect to the table board against a first pivot, and is rotatable with respect to the corresponding upper rod against a second pivot, a distance between the first pivot and the second connecting end defining a first length, a distance between the second pivot and the second connecting end defining a second length, and a distance between the first and second pivots defining a third length, wherein one of the first, second and third lengths is adjustable.

5. The table of claim 4, wherein the table board has two lower arms that are attached to a lower surface of the table board and aligned with the upper rods, respectively, in which the lower arm has one end pivotally connected to the second connecting end of the corresponding upper rod, and the first pivot is located between two ends of the lower arm.

6. The table of claim 5, wherein the second pitch-adjusting mechanism comprises a control unit and at least one said upper rod has a lengthwise unit extending along a length of the upper rod, so that the support arm is connected to the lengthwise unit of the corresponding upper rod, and the control unit allows the support arm to slide with respect to the lengthwise unit, thereby changing the second length.

7. The table of claim 6, wherein the lengthwise unit comprises a shank portion and the control unit comprises an inner tube, an outer tube and a knob, in which the outer tube is mounted around the inner tube, the inner tube having an inner through hole, the outer tube having an outer through hole, the inner through hole being aligned with the outer through hole, so as to allow the shank portion to pass therethrough successively, the knob having a head for a user to grasp, a screw partially screwed into one end of the inner tube, and a pushing surface that is formed between the head and the screw and abuts against one end of the outer tube, so that when the knob is operated to make the screw and the inner tube further engaged with each other, the inner tube is drawn to move in a first direction and the outer tube is pushed by the pushing surface toward a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, whereby the inner and outer tubes seize and in turn position the shank portions.