Patent Application
20120048151
The present invention relates generally to desks for teachers for use in classrooms.
In current classroom environments, teachers' desks can pose a problem in the classroom. If a teacher's desk is low, it can be impractical for a teacher to use the desk to perform laboratory experiments, as students cannot see the experiment being performed. Additionaly, a low teacher's desk takes up space in a room, so low teachers' desks which are not usable for experiments must frequently be put in a corner of a classroom or in another room to make room for laboratory tables, one of which the teacher must use. On the other hand, if a teacher's desk is high, such as a laboratory table used as a teacher's desk, it can block students' view of things behind the desk. Frequently, a classroom will be oriented such that a blackboard, white board, projection screen, or other important piece of classroom equipment will be placed behind a teacher's desk which the students will need to see. A high teacher's desk can impede visibility of that piece of equipment for the students in a classroom. Ideally, a teacher's desk will be usable both for demonstrating experiments and for performing a teacher's other work without consistently impeding the view of the wall behind the desk.
We disclose a desk for use in classroom environments. The desk has a base, an adjustable-height desk surface in the middle which may be raised and lowered, and a fixed-height surface on one or both sides for use with parts of the desk that should remain stationary, such as a sink. The desk has three telescoping legs attached to the adjustable-height desk surface that serve to raise and lower the surface as necessary allowing for demonstration of experiments when the adjustable-height desk surface is in a raised position and for viewing of the wall or other things behind the desk when in a lowered position. A motor, which is attached to the legs, causes them to be raised or lowered when a signal is sent to the motor to do so.
Optionally, the base can house drawers or cabinets. Also, the adjustable-height desk surface can have receptacles for receiving laboratory rods for use in performing experiments. The adjustable-height desk surface or the fixed-height surface or both can be made of a heat and chemical resistant material to protect them from bunsen burners and chemical spills. The desk can have a generally planar or angled face depending on the geometry of the classroom, where the desk is to be placed, and how much room there is to accommodate the desk. In a preferred embodiment, the adjustable-height desk surface is the same height as the fixed-height surface when it is lowered and higher when it is raised.
The desk solves the problem of being usable both for demonstrating experiments and for performing a teacher's other work without consistently impeding the view of the wall behind the desk by having the adjustable-height desk surface which may be easily raised and lowered as needed to accommodate performing of experiments or viewing of the area behind the desk.
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and many attendant advantages thereof will be readily understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.
In the drawings,
In reference to the drawings, there is shown a desk 1 having a base 2, an adjustable-height desk surface 3, and one or more fixed-height surfaces 4. At least three telescoping legs 5 support the adjustable-height desk surface 3 and are driven by a motor, not shown. An example of telescoping legs 5 which would work for the present invention would be those sold by Linak® under the name Desklift DL6 being controlled by Linak® control box CBD4. A sink 12 is disposed in the fixed-height surface 4 for use in performing laboratory experiments.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the desk 1 can have drawers 6 or cabinets 7 disposed in the base for storage. Also in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the adjustable-height desk surface 3 can have holes 8 therein for receiving laboratory rods 9 for use in the performing of laboratory experiments.
The desk 1 can have a generally-planar face 10 as shown in
It should be understood that the foregoing represents merely an exemplary embodiment of the disclosed desk and that various changes and modifications can be made in the arrangements and details of construction of the elements described and shown herein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.
