WO2013102816A1 - Accessory for adjusting the height of a piece of furniture - Google Patents

Abstract

An accessory (12) for adjusting the height of a piece of furniture such as an office desk (1) comprises a base unit (14) adapted to sit between a leg (5), (10), (11) or panel end (6), (7) of the furniture (1) and the floor (13) on which the furniture is located. The base unit (14) includes first and second upright panels (15 & 16) and one or more cross members (31 & 32) on which the leg or panel end of the desk is supported. Locking members (33 & 34) hold the cross members (31 & 32) in position and also move the upright members (15 & 16) towards one another. This creates a locking mechanism adapted to lock the leg (5), (10), (11) or panel end (6), (7) of the furniture in fixed position with respect to the base unit.

Description

ACCESSORY FOR ADJUSTING THE HEIGHT OF A PIECE OF FURNITURE

This invention relates to an accessory for adjusting the height of a piece of furniture such as an office desk or the like. There are many designs of office desk in which the height of the desk is adjustable. Examples are US patents 5,601,037 and 5,337,678. These desks allow for adjustment of the height of the desktop by means of some sort of mechanism built into the desk. These height-adjustable desks are therefore more expensive than the standard desks commonly used in offices and other workplaces.

These standard desks fall into 3 common types. Firstly there is the H-leg desk, which has a desktop supported by an individual leg at each corner, in the same manner as a coffee table or simple dining room table. The second type of desk is a panel end desk, which has a desktop supported by a solid panel on either side. The third type of desk is a cantilever desk, which has a desktop supported by two legs at the rear of the desk, the legs each having a cantilever foot extending forwardly towards the front of the desk along each side. These three types of desk make up the vast majority of desks used in offices today, either alone or in combination. For example, some L-shaped desks may include a combination of H-leg and panel end supports, in order to provide the desired shape.

These standard desks have very limited capabilities for height adjustment.

Many have no form of height adjustment at all, and those that do are limited to adjustable feet, which can provide screw-thread adjustment of a few millimetres at most.

Faced with these desks with little or no height adjustment, users and office managers have used improvised items (books etc.) under the desks to adjust the height thereof. There have also been some specially designed items, known as desk risers, which are simply blocks capable of fitting under the desk legs in order to raise the desk to a higher level. However, even these specially-designed devices are in effect no more than an improved version of a book or other item placed under the legs of the desk.

US Patent 5,107,775 discloses a desk and desk riser combination, in which the desk legs fit into a desk riser in the form of a sleeve. The desk legs are specially modified in that a hole has been cut through each leg, such that a bolt can pass through the hole to locate the desk leg with respect to any one of a series of corresponding holes provided in the sleeve. This arrangement suffers from a number of disadvantages, mainly in that it ties the desk riser into use with a single, specially modified, desk.

The present invention attempts to provide a handy and inexpensive accessory for adjusting the height of an otherwise non-adjustable piece of furniture such as an office desk, yet which is safer and more stable than any of the devices listed above. Accordingly, an accessory for adjusting the height of a piece of furniture such as an office desk is provided, the accessory comprising a base unit adapted to sit between a leg or panel end of a piece of furniture and the floor on which the furniture is located, the base unit including first and second upright panels between which the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture is received, one or more cross-members extending between the upright panels and forming a support on which the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture is supported, and one or more locking members associated with the one or more cross members for holding the cross members in position with respect to the upright panels, the arrangement being such that the application of the locking members moves the upright members towards one another so as to create a locking mechanism adapted to lock the leg or panel end in fixed position with respect to the base unit.

The phrase "leg or end panel" is intended to include each of the three types of desk described above. The term "leg" is intended to include both the individual legs of an H-leg desk, and also the extended "foot" of a cantilever desk. Similarly, the term "end panel" is intended to include the end panel of a panel end desk, as will be further described in greater detail herein. By the phrase "leg or end panel" it is meant to say that the accessory is capable of supporting either a leg or an end panel, depending on whichever type of furniture is provided.

The space between the upright panels constitutes a recess or groove adapted to receive the leg or panel end of the office desk. Where the desk is a panel end desk, the groove can receive the bottom of the end panel along all or part of its length. Clearly, while one accessory may be provided on each side of the desk to receive each end panel, or there may be two or more accessories used for each end panel. Where the desk is a cantilever desk, the groove can receive the cantilever foot of the desk, again along all or part of its length. Once again, the cantilever desk may be supported by two accessories, one on each cantilever foot, or by two or more such accessories on each cantilever foot. Alternatively, the recess is adapted to receive the leg of the office desk. Where the desk is an H-leg desk, the recess can receive the foot such that four accessories are used, one for each of the four legs.

The one or more cross members may support a platform on which the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture is supported. Alternatively, the one or more cross members may themselves simply form the support for the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture, with the leg or panel end simply resting on the cross members. Typically, at least two and conceivably three or more cross members are provided. The base unit is conveniently a substantially u-shaped construction, with the first and second upright panels extending upwardly from a bottom panel. In this way, the accessory is capable of being used in conjunction with a wide variety of desks, having different types and sizes of desk legs, as opposed to prior art devices that require the accessory to be used in combination with a single type of desk, often one that has been specially modified. The u-shaped construction provides constraint on two sides only, allowing for desk legs of different shapes and dimensions to be accommodated. The fact that the desk legs rest directly on the cross members or on a platform supported by the cross members means that the desk legs require no modification in order to accommodate the accessory.

The u-shaped construction also allows for the upright panels to flex easily, so as to accommodate desk legs of differing dimensions. Unlike the construction of US 5,107,775, which has a rigid, four-sided structure, and which as a consequence will only allow for a limited amount of movement of the walls thereof, the present arrangement allows for significant flexing of the upright panels, firstly to accommodate different sized desk legs, and secondly to allow for movement to lock the leg or panel end in position with respect to the base unit.

According to one convenient arrangement, the first and second upright panels include discrete apertures through which the cross members are received. The first and second upright panels preferably include a plurality of matching apertures at different heights within the upright panels, such that the cross members can be selectively placed at different heights with respect thereto. Typically, the first and second upright panels each include an array of three or more apertures extending in a straight line longitudinally with respect to the upright panels. In this way, the cross members can be inserted in any one of a number of longitudinal positions, thereby selecting the height that the piece of furniture is raised from a number of predetermined settings.

The one or more cross members conveniently have at least a threaded portion, such that the locking members cooperate with the threaded portions in order to lock the cross members with respect to the upright panels. Typically, the one or more cross members comprise threaded bolts, and the one or more locking members comprise threaded nuts. In this way, the rotation of the locking members with respect to the threaded cross members moves the upright members towards one another so as to create the locking mechanism adapted to lock the leg or panel end in fixed position with respect to the base unit. The tightening of the threaded bolts causes a flexing of the upright members, locking them against the leg or panel end regardless of the original spacing between the upright members and the leg or panel end. In this way, the accessory can accommodate legs of differing dimensions, and the accessory is not limited to working with a single shape and size of desk leg or panel end.

Conveniently, at least one of the upright panels is provided with a resilient pad on an inner face thereof, such that it is positioned between the upright panel and the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture when the locking mechanism is applied. Typically, both of the upright panels are provided with a resilient pad on an inner face thereof, such that the pads are positioned between the upright panels and the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture when the locking mechanism is applied. This provides a good firm grip on the desk leg or panel end, as well as avoiding damage to the desk leg or panel end, or markings on the desk leg or panel end which can be unsightly when the desk is subsequently used without the accessory.

The accessory preferably includes means for moving the support continuously up and down for adjusting its height. This means that once the general height of the piece of furniture has been chosen by selecting which of the apertures are used to accommodate the cross members, further fine adjustment is possible by using the continuous adjustment mechanism. Conveniently, the means for moving the support continuously up and down comprises an adjustable foot. Typically, the foot includes a foot portion and a threaded stem portion such that rotation of the stem portion adjusts the distance between the foot portion and the base unit. In this way, the coarse height adjustment for the desk can be selected by means of the selection of which aperture in which the cross members are received, while the fine adjustment of the height of the desk can be achieved by means of the adjustable foot.

According to a further aspect of the invention, an accessory for adjusting the height of a piece of furniture such as an office desk comprises a base unit adapted to sit between a leg or panel end of a piece of furniture and the floor on which the furniture is located, a support on which the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture is supported, means for moving the support continuously up and down for adjusting the height of the support, and a locking mechanism adapted to lock the leg or panel end in fixed position with respect to the base unit. The combination of continuous height adjustment and a secure but easily releasable locking of the piece of furniture with respect to the accessory provides a versatile yet easy to use way of raising the height of a piece of furniture such as an office desk.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figures 1A, IB & 1C are perspective views of different types of conventional office desk,

Figures 2A, 2B & 2C are perspective views of the desks of Figures 1A, IB & 1C, provided with accessories according to the present invention,

Figures 3B & 3C are perspective views of the desks of Figures IB & 1C, provided with accessories according to the present invention,

Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of an accessory according to the present invention, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the accessory according Figure 4, shown in its assembled condition.

Referring to Figure 1A, an H-leg desk is shown generally at 1, and comprises a desktop 2, backplate 3, and four legs each designated 5. Figure IB shows an end panel desk, again designated generally at 1, and including a desktop 2, backplate 3, and end panels 6 & 7. Figure 1C shows a cantilever desk 1, with desktop 2, backplate 3 rear legs 8 & 9, and cantilever feet 10 & 11. All of these desks are entirely conventional and represent the most common forms of office desk.

The desks shown in Figures 1A, IB & 1C do not have any form of adjustment for the height of the desktop. However, the desks shown in Figures 2A, 2B & 2C have been fitted with accessories according to the present invention. The desk shown in Figure 2A is provided with four accessories, shown generally at 12, one between the bottom of each leg 5 and the floor 13 on which the desk is standing. The desk shown in Figure 2B is also provided with four accessories 12. There is one accessory at each end of the end panel 6, located between the end panel 6 and the floor 13 on which the desk is standing. Similarly, there is one accessory at each end of the end panel 7, located between the end panel 7 and the floor 13 on which the desk is standing. The desk shown in Figure 2C is also provided with four accessories 12. There is one accessory at each end of the cantilever foot 10, located between the foot 10 and the floor 13 on which the desk is standing. Similarly, there is one accessory at each end of the cantilever foot 11, located between the foot 11 and the floor 13 on which the desk is standing.

Figures 3B & 3C show the desks of Figures IB & 1C respectively, with an alternative design of accessory 12. In Figure 3B, the desk is provided with two elongate accessories 12, one running along the bottom of end panel 6 and the other along the bottom of end panel 7, each time located between the end panel and the floor 13 on which the desk is standing. Similarly, Figure 3C shows a desk with two elongate accessories 12, one running along the bottom of cantilever foot 10 and the other along the bottom of cantilever foot 11, each time located between the cantilever foot and the floor 13 on which the desk is standing.

The design of the accessories 12 will now be illustrated in more detail. Figures 4 & 5 show an accessory 12, which comprises a base unit 14 formed either of wood, metal or a high density plastics material. The base unit 14 includes upright panels 15 & 16 connected by means of a bottom panel 17 to form a u-shaped construction with a recess 18 formed between the panels 15 & 16. The upright panels 15 & 16 are provided with rows of apertures 19, a first row 20 in the upright panel 15 being in alignment with a first row 20^' in the upright panel 16, and a second row 21 in the panel 15 being in alignment with a second row 2 in the panel 16. A resilient pad 22, formed of rubber or other elastomeric material, is attached to the inner face 23 of upright panel 15, while a similar resilient pad 24 is attached to the inner face 25 of panel 16. The pads 22 & 24 have elongate slots 26 & 27 so as not to obscure the apertures 19.

The base unit 14 is provided with an adjustable foot 28, consisting of a threaded stem 29 supporting a foot portion 30. The stem 29 is received in a corresponding hole (not shown) in the bottom panel 17 such that rotation of the foot 28 with respect to the panel 17 adjusts the distance between the panel 17 and the foot portion 30. Two threaded bolts 31 & 32 are placed through corresponding pairs of the apertures 19, and secured in place by wing nuts 33 & 34.

To use the accessory 12 in connection with the H-leg desk of Figure 1A, four accessories are placed on the floor such that the legs 5 can be received in the recess 18 of each accessory. Each leg 5 is supported on the threaded bolts 31 & 32 extending between the upright panels 15 & 16 at a height determined by the chosen apertures through which the bolts extend. Once each leg 5 is in position, the wing nuts 33 & 34 are rotated by the user, tightening the nuts against the upright panel 16 and urging the panels 15 & 16 towards one another. The nuts 33 & 34 are rotated until the upright panels 15 & 16 grip the leg 5 locking it in position, the resilient pads 22 & 24 forming a gripping surface and a buffer between the panels and the leg.

If a further up or down adjustment of the desk is required, this can be achieved by rotating the foot 28. This best done before the weight of the desk is received by the accessory 12, or by temporarily lifting the desk as the foot is rotated. If the adjustment required is more than can be provided by the adjustable foot 28, a larger adjustment can be provided by relocating the bolts 31 & 32 in a higher or lower pair of apertures 19. By a combination of the choice of apertures together with the adjustable foot 28, the desired height of the desk can be precisely achieved, raising the height of the desk 1 such that the desktop 2 is at a more ergonomic height for a taller user of the desk.

If the accessories 12 are being used in connection with a panel end desk such as is shown in Figure IB, four such accessories are used with one at each end of the panel end 6 and one at each end of panel end 7. This construction is shown in Figure 2B. The bottom of each panel end is received in the recess 18 between the upright panels 15 & 16, and supported on the bolts 31 & 32. The wing nuts 33 & 34 are used to tighten the upright panels 15 & 16 against the panel ends of the desk, holding it securely in position.

A similar arrangement is used if the desk in question is a cantilever desk, with four accessories 12 being used as shown in Figure 2C. The recess 18 of each accessory is used to contain the cantilever foot 10 or 11, with the wing nuts once again tightening the panels 15 & 16 against the cantilever foot 10 or 11 to secure it in place.

Although the accessories described above can be used with each type of desk, an alternative embodiment of accessory may be provided for use with panel end desks and cantilever desks. In this alternative embodiment, illustrated in Figures 3B & 3C, the upright panels 15 & 16 are made more elongate, and consequently may contain more than two rows of apertures. Conceivably, the upright panels may extend the entire length of the panel end 6 or 7, or cantilever foot 10 or 11, with rows of apertures and threaded bolts located at regular intervals along the length of the panels 15 & 16. The basic design of the accessories is still essentially the same, however, with the threaded bolts not only acting as a support surface for the desk but also urging the upright panels together in order to hold the desk securely in position. For complex desks such as L-shaped or other shaped desks, it is possible that a combination of accessories will be required, some as illustrated in Figures 2A & 2B and others with the elongated panels as illustrated in Figures 3B & 3c to receive cantilever legs or panel ends.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various alternative features can be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention. Alternative methods for adjusting the height of the base on which the leg or panel end sits can be envisaged, as can alternative methods for locking the leg or panel end in place once positioned on the base unit. In the illustrated embodiments the desk is located directly on the threaded bolts 31 & 32, but this may not necessarily be the case, with the bolts being used to support some form of platform on which the desk is supported. Alternative methods for fine adjustment can be envisaged, as opposed to the rotatable foot 28. Each of these changes will not detract from the basic core of the invention, which is to provide an accessory for a desk which is simple to operate, but still providing for various height adjustments and also a locking mechanism to ensure stability and security once the desired desk height has been established.

Claims

Claims

1. An accessory for adjusting the height of a piece of furniture such as an office desk, the accessory comprising:

(i) a base unit adapted to sit between a leg or panel end of a piece of furniture and the floor on which the furniture is located, the base unit including first and second upright panels between which the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture is received,

(ii) one or more cross-members extending between the upright panels and forming a support on which the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture is supported, and

iii) one or more locking members associated with the one or more cross members for holding the cross members in position with respect to the upright panels, the arrangement being such that the application of the locking members moves the upright members towards one another so as to create a locking mechanism adapted to lock the leg or panel end in fixed position with respect to the base unit.

2. An accessory according to claim 1, characterised in that the base unit is a substantially u-shaped construction, with the first and second upright panels extending upwardly from a bottom panel.

3. An accessory according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the first and second upright panels include discrete apertures through which the cross members are received.

4. An accessory according to claim 3, characterised in that the first and second upright panels include a plurality of matching apertures at different heights within the upright panels, such that the cross members can be selectively placed at different heights with respect thereto.

5. An accessory according to claim 4, characterised in that the first and second upright panels each include an array of three or more apertures extending in a straight line longitudinally with respect to the upright panels.

6. An accessory according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the one or more cross members have at least a threaded portion, such that the locking members cooperate with the threaded portions in order to lock the cross members with respect to the upright panels.

7. An accessory according to claim 6, characterised in that the one or more cross members comprise threaded bolts.

8. An accessory according to claim 7, characterised in that the locking members comprise threaded nuts.

9. An accessory according to any of claims 6 to 8, characterised in that the rotation of the locking members with respect to the threaded cross members moves the upright members towards one another so as to create the locking mechanism adapted to lock the leg or panel end in fixed position with respect to the base unit.

10. An accessory according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the accessory includes at least first and second cross members.

11. An accessory according to claim 10, characterised in that the accessory includes three or more cross members.

12. An accessory according to any preceding claim, characterised in that at least one of the upright panels is provided with a resilient pad on an inner face thereof, such that it is positioned between the upright panel and the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture when the locking mechanism is applied.

13. An accessory according to claim 12, characterised in that both of the upright panels are provided with a resilient pad on an inner face thereof, such that the pads are positioned between the upright panels and the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture when the locking mechanism is applied.

14. An accessory according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the accessory includes means for moving the support continuously up and down for adjusting its height.

15. An accessory according to claim 14, characterised in that the means for moving the support continuously up and down comprises an adjustable foot.

16. An accessory according to claim 15, characterised in that the foot includes a foot portion and a threaded stem portion such that rotation of the stem portion adjusts the distance between the foot portion and the base unit.

17. An accessory for adjusting the height of a piece of furniture such as an office desk, the accessory comprising:

(i) a base unit adapted to sit between a leg or panel end of the piece of furniture and the floor on which the furniture is located,

(ii) a support on which the leg or panel end of the piece of furniture is supported,

iii) means for moving the support continuously up and down for adjusting the height of the support, and

(iv) a locking mechanism adapted to lock the leg or panel end in fixed position with respect to the base unit.