Patent Application
20180092457
The present invention relates to a pneumatic height-adjustable desk, and more particularly to a pneumatic height-adjustable desk capable of synchronously adjusting the heights of two legs.
With the enhancement of people's living standards, a height-adjustable desk is more used for fitting users with different heights or allowing a user to use when standing. Currently, there are two popular types of height-adjustable desks in the market which respectively have single and twin pneumatic units.
However, these conventional pneumatic height-adjustable desks have following disadvantages: (i) when a user uses a height-adjustable desk with single pneumatic unit, it may happen that two sides of a desk top are in different heights; and (ii) on the other hand, although a height-adjustable desk with twin pneumatic units can solve the problem the single pneumatic unit met, it is still lack that the adjusting process of heights of two legs are always not synchronized. Also, when a desk top has heavy stuffs put on one side thereof, which causes the two pneumatic units to hold unequal pressures, the desk top may be tilted. Furthermore, when the user adjusts the height of the desk in this situation, the pneumatic units may get stuck. Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved design for a pneumatic height-adjustable desk to overcome the problems presented above.
The present invention provides a pneumatic height-adjustable desk which comprises two legs, two pneumatic rods, two pulleys units, a cross beam, a control spindle, a clutch unit and a desk top. Each of two legs has an outer tube, and an inner tube is movably received in the outer tube to achieve telescoping effect. Each of two lower ends of the two inner tubes is connected to a foot which is configured to increase a contacting area and allow the pneumatic height-adjustable desk to firmly stand on a floor. Each of two upper ends of the outer tubes is connected to a supporting base which has an accommodating space, and an interior space of the outer tube is communicated with the accommodating space of the supporting base. Each of the two pneumatic rods comprises a cylindrical body, and a pushing rod movably received in the cylindrical body is pushed by air pressure to extend outwardly at standard condition. The pneumatic rod is received in the inner tube and the outer tube to allow two respective upper ends of the cylindrical body and the pushing rod to connect with the two supporting bases and allow two respective lower ends thereof to connect with the two feet. Each of the two pulleys units has a first pulley and a second pulley which are respectively pivotally connected on the upper end and the lower end of the cylindrical body, and a round belt is disposed on the first pulley and the second pulley as a chain. When the two pneumatic rods with the two pulleys units are respectively settled inside the two legs, each of the two first pulleys protrudes from the outer tube and is positioned inside the accommodating space of the supporting base. A locating piece secured on an upper portion of the inner tube is connected to a clamping piece which is configured to clamp the round belt thus building the connection between the inner tube and the round belt. The cross beam secured between two upper ends of the two outer tubes comprises a housing space, and an elongated opening is formed at a top end thereof such that the control spindle with the clutch unit is configured to put into the housing space of the cross beam through the elongated opening. The clutch unit is mounted on the control spindle, and an outer periphery of the control spindle has a polygon-shaped section. When the control spindle with the clutch unit is put into the housing space of the cross beam, each of two ends of the control spindle is engaged with an engaging hole of the first pulley through the polygon-shaped section. The clutch unit is configured to engage and disengage with the control spindle, and the control spindle is configured to achieve power transmission to stop or synchronously rotate the two first pulleys. The desk top is secured on the two supporting bases and the cross beam, and a control unit settled on a lower surface of the desk top is electrically connected to the clutch unit.
Comparing with conventional pneumatic height-adjustable desk, the present invention is advantageous because: (i) by cooperating the pneumatic rods, the pulleys units, the control spindle and the clutch unit, the two sides of the desk top are configured to go up or down synchronously and maintain even; and (ii) by using the clutch unit to clamp the control spindle, the desk top is configured to firmly maintain flat and stable even the single side of the desk top is pressed by the heavy stuff.
The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently exemplary device provided in accordance with aspects of the present invention and is not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be prepared or utilized. It is to be understood, rather, that the same or equivalent functions and components may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods, devices and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the invention, the exemplary methods, devices and materials are now described.
All publications mentioned are incorporated by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing, for example, the designs and methodologies that are described in the publications that might be used in connection with the presently described invention. The publications listed or discussed above, below and throughout the text are provided solely for their disclosure prior to the filing date of the present application. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the inventors are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
In order to further understand the goal, characteristics and effect of the present invention, a number of embodiments along with the drawings are illustrated as following:
Referring to
In one embodiment, a top end of the inner tube (11) has a first cover (15), and at least two first sliding wheels (151) are pivotally connected to the first cover (15) are configured to bear against an inner surface of the outer tube (12) thus allowing the inner tube (11) and the outer tube (12) to achieve extending and retracting actions smoothly and preventing the pneumatic height-adjustable desk from shaking during the extending or retracting process due to a gap formed between the inner tube (11) and the outer tube (12).
In another embodiment, a bottom end of the outer tube (12) comprises a second cover (16), and at least two second sliding wheels are pivotally connected to the second cover (16) are configured to bear against an outer surface of the inner tube (11) thus allowing the inner tube (11) and the outer tube (12) to achieve extending and retracting actions smoothly and preventing the pneumatic height-adjustable desk from shaking during the extending or retracting process due to the gap formed between the inner tube (11) and the outer tube (12).
In still another embodiment, the clutch unit (60) has a fixing base (61) which is secured on the lower surface of the desk top (70), and a lateral surface of the fixing base (61) comprises a stepped hole (611) which is configured to be penetrated through by the control spindle (50). The stepped hole (611) is further engaged with a horizontal moving unit (63), and a spring (62) is borne against an inner edge of the horizontal moving unit (63) and the fixing base (61) on both sides thereof. A plurality of gear slots (631) are formed at an inner periphery of the horizontal moving unit (63), and by using the spring (62) to push the horizontal moving unit (63) to move away from the fixing base (61), the gear slots (631) are configured to engage with an gear (64) formed on the control spindle (50). As a result, because of the engagement among the fixing base (61), the horizontal moving unit (63), the gear (64) and the control spindle (50), the control spindle (50) is unable to be rotated (as shown in
In actual application, a user can raise the height of the desk top (70) by pressing the button of the control unit (71) such that the clutch unit (60) is configured to release and allow the control spindle (50) to spin independently. Also, since the two ends of the control spindle (50) are respectively connected to the two first pulleys (31) supported by the two pushing rods (22) which are continuously extended, the two round belts (33) are configured to drive the outer tubes (12) to move upwardly thus raising the height of the desk top (70) (as shown in
Comparing with conventional pneumatic height-adjustable desk, the present invention is advantageous because: (i) by cooperating the pneumatic rods (20), the pulleys units (30), the control spindle (50) and the clutch unit (60), the two sides of the desk top (70) are configured to go up or down synchronously and maintain even; and (ii) by using the clutch unit (60) to clamp the control spindle (50), the desk top (70) is configured to firmly maintain flat and stable even the single side of the desk top (70) is pressed by the heavy stuff.
Having described the invention by the description and illustrations above, it should be understood that these are exemplary of the invention and are not to be considered as limiting. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description, but includes any equivalents.
