Patent Application
20170087712
Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates to benches and more particularly pertains to a new bench for providing integrated, liftable storage.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a base. The base comprises a lift module that has a frame which is box shaped. A platform and a lifter are positioned in an interior space defined by the frame. The lifter is coupled to the platform, such that the lifter can raise or lower the platform within the interior space. A top is positioned on and coupled to an upper face of the frame. An opening is positioned in the top.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A lifter 58 is positioned in the interior space 48. The lifter 58 is coupled to the platform 46, such that the lifter 58 can raise or lower the platform 46 within the interior space 48. The lifter 58 comprises a set of four rack gears 60. The set of four rack gears 60 is coupled to associated verticals 22 within the interior space 48. The lifter 58 has a set of three blocks 62. Each of the set of three blocks 62 is coupled proximate to an associated corner 64 of the platform 46. A motor 66 is coupled to a fourth corner 68 of the platform 46. The lifter 58 has a set of four pinion gears 70. Three pinion gears 70 are operationally coupled to associated blocks 62 and to associated rack gears 60. One pinion gears 70 is operationally coupled to the motor 66 and to an associated four rack gear 60.
A top 72 is positioned on and coupled to the upper face 52 of the frame 20. A power supply 74 is coupled to an associated one of the verticals 22 proximate to the top 74. The power supply 74 is operationally coupled to the motor 66. A control panel 76 is coupled to the power supply 74. The control panel 76 is operationally coupled to the power supply 74 and the motor 66. An opening 78 is positioned in the top 72 proximate to a front edge 80 of the top 72. The opening 78 is rectangular. The bench comprises an insert 82 that is complimentary to the opening 78.
Preferably, the base 12 comprises a first lift module 16 and a second lift module 18. A plurality of joiners 84 is coupled to a pair of verticals 86 of the first lift module 16 and an associated pair of verticals 88 of the second lift module 18. The top 72 of the first lift module 16 is seamlessly joined with the top 72 of the second lift module 18.
In use, the opening in the top can be reveal by removing the insert. The lifter can raise or lower the platform within the interior space. The opening in the top is positioned to receive the mount when the platform is raised, and the holes in the mount are positioned to receive the couplers to attach the bases of machinery. Thus, when the machinery is required for use in can be brought to the level of said top using said lifter to raise said platform. When the machinery is not in use, it can be stowed in said internal space by using said lifter to lower said platform.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
