Claims
- 1. A laboratory table for use in lectures and for laboratory experiments, said laboratory table comprising:
- a base;
- a generally planar countertop attached to an upper portion of and supported by said base, said countertop including a peripheral edge portion extending laterally beyond said base in a cantilevered manner;
- a sink disposed adjacent the peripheral edge of said countertop and mounted to an upper, lateral portion of said base in a cantilevered manner, wherein space is provided beneath the peripheral edge portion of said countertop extending laterally beyond said base and beneath said sink for a chair such as a wheelchair to afford access to said countertop and said sink by a wheelchair-bound person; and
- a computer terminal disposed in or on said countertop.
- 2. The laboratory table of claim 1 wherein said countertop includes a peripheral edge having a linear portion and a curvilinear portion.
- 3. The laboratory table of claim 2 wherein the linear portion of the countertop's peripheral edge is disposed adjacent said sink.
- 4. The laboratory table of claim 3 wherein the curvilinear portion of the countertop's peripheral edge includes first and second generally semicircular opposed ends.
- 5. The laboratory table of claim 1 further comprising a rotatable housing disposed on said countertop and adapted for receiving and supporting said computer terminal, wherein said computer terminal can be rotationally displaced on said rotatable housing for allowing said computer terminal to be viewed from all locations on said countertop.
- 6. The laboratory table of claim 5 wherein said countertop has a circular aperture therein, said laboratory table further comprising an annular spacer and turret base coupled together, wherein said annular spacer is rotatable disposed in the circular aperture of said countertop and said turret base is coupled to and supports said rotatable housing.
- 7. The laboratory table of claim 6 wherein said housing is rotatable over an angular range of 240.degree..
- 8. The laboratory table of claim 1 further comprising height adjusting means for changing the height of said countertop above said base.
- 9. The laboratory table of claim 8 wherein said height adjusting means includes a hand-operated crank or an electric motor.
- 10. The laboratory table of claim 9 wherein said hand-operated crank is removable.
- 11. The laboratory table of claim 9 wherein said height adjusting means further includes first and second extension arms respectively coupled to a first rotating shaft and a first drive gear and to a second rotating shaft and second drive gear.
- 12. The laboratory table of claim 11 wherein each of said extension arms includes a respective rack assembly coupled to one of said drive gears.
- 13. The laboratory table of claim 11 wherein either said hand-operated crank or said electric motor is coupled to said first and second shafts and drive gears.
- 14. The laboratory table of claim 13 further comprising a hand-held switch coupled to said electric motor for actuating said electric motor and changing the height of said countertop.
- 15. The laboratory table of claim 8 further comprising locking means for fixedly positioning said countertop at a given height.
- 16. The laboratory table of claim 15 wherein said table further includes a collar assembly attached to a lower portion of said countertop and movable in a vertical direction in said base, wherein said collar assembly includes a lateral slot therein, and wherein said locking means includes at least one rotatable knob inserted in said slot for fixedly positioning said countertop at a given height when said rotatable knob is tightened.
- 17. The laboratory table of claim 1 wherein said base includes a pull-out shelf for supporting a computer component.
- 18. The laboratory table of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of elongated, hollow, support members coupling said base to said countertop, wherein said laboratory table further includes one or more C-clamped support rods each adapted for attachment to an edge of said countertop, and wherein each of said support members is adapted to receive one or more of said C-clamped support rods for storage when not in use.
- 19. The laboratory table of claim 18 wherein each of said C-clamped support rods includes a C-clamp and a support rod and wherein said C-clamp is tightened on an edge of said countertop by rotating said support rod.
- 20. A sink for use with a laboratory table, said sink comprising:
- a generally semi-circular housing having curvilinear and flat lateral portions, wherein said sink is adapted to be mounted to an upper, lateral portion of the laboratory table in a cantilevered manner;
- means defining an upper, hollow, recessed portion in said housing, said recessed portion including a drain aperture in a lower portion thereof; and
- a generally semi-circular support ledge disposed on an upper, peripheral portion of said housing about the hollow recessed portion therein, wherein said support ledge is tapered in width in proceeding outwardly from said laboratory table to provide first and second proximal portions with increased width and a distal portion disposed intermediate the proximal portions of said support ledge with reduced width to facilitate access to the sink by a person seated at said sink.
- 21. The sink of claim 20 wherein said support ledge is defined by a first inner radius R and a second outer radius R', where R'>R.
- 22. The sink of claim 21 wherein said first inner radius R is measured from the drain aperture in said recessed portion and said second outer radius R' is measured from the flat lateral portion of said housing.
- 23. The sink of claim 22 wherein a first water and gas fixture is mounted to said first proximal portion of said support ledge.
- 24. The sink of claim 23 wherein a second water and gas fixture is mounted to the second proximal portion of said support ledge.
- 25. The sink of claim 24 wherein a lower portion of the recessed portion of said housing is flat.
- 26. The sink of claim 25 further comprising a mounting assembly for attaching the sink to the laboratory table.
- 27. An arrangement comprising a laboratory table having a generally planar countertop disposed on and supported by a base structure, said arrangement further comprising:
- a computer terminal;
- means for defining a generally circular aperture in the laboratory table's countertop;
- a base member disposed beneath and providing support for the computer terminal;
- generally circular ring means disposed beneath and engaging said base member for supporting said base member and computer terminal;
- rotational connecting means coupling said ring means and said base member for permitting rotation of the computer terminal for viewing from all locations on the countertop; and
- a recessed well disposed in said base member and said ring means for receiving and providing stable and secure positioning for the computer terminal.
- 28. The arrangement of claim 27 further comprising a housing disposed on said base member for substantially enclosing the computer terminal.
- 29. The arrangement of claim 28 wherein said housing is comprised of plexiglass.
- 30. The arrangement of claim 27 wherein said circular ring means tightly engages said countertop about the circular aperture therein and forms a seal with said countertop.
- 31. The arrangement of claim 27 wherein the computer terminal can be rotated over an angular range of 240.degree..
RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of copending U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/080,849, filed Apr. 6, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (10)