U.S. patent application number 10/950205 was filed with the patent office on 2006-03-30 for desk with tilt-adjustable tops.
Invention is credited to Wen-Hua Chang, Yueh Chi, Hungh-Hsiang Wang.
Application Number | 20060065167 10/950205 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36097569 |
Filed Date | 2006-03-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060065167 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chi; Yueh ; et al. |
March 30, 2006 |
Desk with tilt-adjustable tops
Abstract
A desk with tilt-adjustable tops includes a stand frame; a front
top mounted to an upper front portion of the stand frame via a
front tilt control device; and a rear top mounted to an upper rear
portion of the stand frame via a rear tilt control device. The
stand frame is height-adjustable and has a storage box located
below a rear portion of the front top. The front and the rear top
may be separately adjusted to different tilt angles best for
writing, drawing, or reading at the desk. In normal time, the front
and the rear top may be simultaneously restored to a horizontal
state or adjusted to the same plane with the storage box invisibly
located below the front top, so that the desk is used as a general
desk with a flat top.
Inventors: |
Chi; Yueh; (Taipei City,
TW) ; Chang; Wen-Hua; (Taipei City, TW) ;
Wang; Hungh-Hsiang; (Taipei City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PRO-TECHTOR INTERNATIONAL SERVICES
20775 Norada Court
Saratoga
CA
95070-3018
US
|
Family ID: |
36097569 |
Appl. No.: |
10/950205 |
Filed: |
September 24, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
108/50.02 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 21/0314
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
108/050.02 |
International
Class: |
A47B 37/00 20060101
A47B037/00 |
Claims
1. A desk with tilt-adjustable tops, comprising: a stand frame; a
front top mounted to an upper front portion of said stand frame via
a front tilt control device; and a rear top mounted to an upper
rear portion of said stand frame via a rear tilt control
device.
2. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said stand frame includes: a pair of side columns; a pair
of side members separately mounted to upper ends of said pair of
side columns; a pair of legs separately connected to lower ends of
said pair of side columns; an upper stretcher mounted between two
substantially middle points of said pair of side members; a lower
stretcher mounted between two substantially middle points of said
pair of legs; and a central column mounted between two
substantially middle points of said upper and said lower
stretcher.
3. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 2,
wherein said front top includes a supporting frame located below
said front top, said supporting frame being mounted at two lateral
sides to inner front ends of said pair of side members, and
pivotally connected at a front end to a bottom front portion of
said front top via first hinges; and wherein said front tilt
control device is located between said supporting frame and a
position near a bottom rear portion of said front top.
4. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said front tilt control device enables stepped adjustment
of a tilt angle of said front top.
5. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 4,
wherein said front tilt control device enabling stepped adjustment
of a tilt angle of said front top is a positioning plate with a row
of locating holes.
6. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said front tilt control device enables stepless adjustment
of a tilt angle of said front top.
7. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 6,
wherein said front tilt control device enabling stepless adjustment
of a tilt angle of said front top is an air cylinder.
8. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said front tilt control device enables adjustment of a tilt
angle of said front top within a range from zero to twenty-five
degrees.
9. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 3,
wherein said pair of side members of said stand frame are provided
at an inner side with a slide way each, and said supporting frame
of said front top being slidably mounted in said slide ways via
slide rails to move forward or rearward relative to said pair of
side members.
10. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 9,
wherein said supporting frame is allowed to move forward or
rearward relative to said side members within a range from zero to
twenty centimeters.
11. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 2,
wherein said rear top is pivotally connected at two lower front
ends to two near middle points of said two pair of side members via
second hinges, and said rear tilt control device being located
between two rear ends of said pair of side members and a position
close to a bottom front of said rear top.
12. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said rear tilt control device enables stepped adjustment of
a tilt angle of said rear top.
13. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 12,
wherein said rear tilt control device enabling stepped adjustment
of a tilt angle of said rear top is a positioning plate with a row
of locating holes.
14. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said rear tilt control device enables stepless adjustment
of a tilt angle of said rear top.
15. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 14,
wherein said rear tilt control device enabling stepless adjustment
of a tilt angle of said rear top is an air cylinder.
16. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said rear tilt control device enables adjustment of a tilt
angle of said rear top within a range from zero to 90 degrees.
17. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said rear top is made of a metal material.
18. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said rear top has metal elements embedded therein.
19. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 2,
further comprising a storage box mounted between said pair of side
members to locate below a rear portion of said front top.
20. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 2,
wherein said central column and said pair of side columns are of
height-adjustable structures.
21. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 20,
wherein said central column is an air cylinder, and wherein each of
said pair of side columns includes a lower section and an upper
section telescopically mounted in said lower section.
22. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 21,
wherein said upper section of each said side column is provided
with a row of locating holes, and is located at a desired height
relative to said lower section by fixing a locating screw into a
selected one of said locating holes via said lower section.
23. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 2,
further comprising a computer case carriage mounted on one end of
said lower stretcher.
24. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 2,
further comprising a compact disk rack hung below at least one of
said two side members.
25. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 3,
further comprising a keyboard slide slidably mounted below said
supporting frame of said front top.
26. The desk with tilt-adjustable tops as claimed in claim 1,
wherein said front top is provided with an anti-slip surface.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a desk with front and rear
tops that could be separately adjusted to different tilt angles
best for writing, reading or drawing at the desk. The front and the
rear top may also be adjusted to a horizontal state or locate in
the same plane, allowing the desk to serve as a general desk with a
flat top.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Conventional desks usually include a one-piece flat top,
which has fixed height and inclination.
[0003] Since people are different in ages, heights, and figures,
the conventional desk with fixed height and inclination does not
always satisfy different users. Many users have no choice but force
themselves to work at a desk with improper height and suffer sore
back and waist from incorrect position sitting in front of the
desk.
[0004] Particularly, the conventional desk having a generally
horizontal top is often associated with the problem of glare and/or
reflective light caused by different angles of light and smooth
paper surface. The glare and/or reflective light discomforts the
user reading or writing at the desk for a prolonged time, and would
even adversely affect the user's visual acuity.
[0005] In brief, the conventional desk having a one-piece and
horizontal top is not suitable for a user to comfortably and
conveniently working at the desk.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a
desk with front and rear tops that could be separately adjusted to
different tilt angles best for writing, reading, or drawing, and
used as a book holder for holding documental materials thereon for
viewing; or simultaneously adjusted to a horizontal state or the
same plane to serve as a general desk with a flat top.
[0007] To achieve the above and other objects, the desk with
tilt-adjustable tops according to the present invention includes a
stand frame; a front top mounted to an upper front portion of the
stand frame via a front tilt control device; and a rear top mounted
to an upper rear portion of the stand frame via a rear tilt control
device. The front top is seated on a supporting frame, which is
slidably mounted to the upper front portion of the stand frame to
move forward or rearward relative to the stand frame. The front top
in a horizontal state serves as a horizontal top of a general desk,
and may be adjusted to a tilt angle between zero and twenty-five
degrees suitable for reading, writing, and drawing thereat,
depending on actual need.
[0008] The rear top could be adjusted via the rear tilt control
device to different tilt angles between zero and 90 degrees to
serve as a book holder for a user to comfortably view things or
materials positioned on the tilt rear top. The rear top is made of
a metal material, or embedded with metal elements, so that paper
and/or other things may be magnetically attached to the rear top
using magnets.
[0009] When it is desired to use the desk of the present invention,
the front and the rear top could be separately adjusted to
different tilt angles, so that a user could comfortably write,
read, or draw at the desk. When it is not necessary to use the desk
with the front and the rear top in different tilt angles, the front
and the rear top could be restored to the horizontal state or the
same plane just as a general flat desk to provide a wide, clean,
and orderly top.
[0010] The desk with tilt-adjustable tops according to the present
invention also includes a storage box located below a rear portion
of the front top. When the front top is pulled forward, the storage
box is exposed and a user may conveniently access stationery and
other office supplies positioned in the storage box. And, when the
front top is rearward pushed, the storage box is invisibly located
below the front top again to maintain the whole top of the desk in
a wide and neat condition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a desk with tilt-adjustable
tops according to an embodiment of the present invention with a
rear top thereof in a tilt position;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the desk of FIG. 1 with a
front top thereof also in a tilt position;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of FIG. 2; and
[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the desk of FIG. 1 with
front and rear tops thereof all in a horizontal state.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0016] Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 that are two perspective views
of a desk with tilt-adjustable tops according to an embodiment of
the present invention, and to FIG. 3 that is a fragmentary side
view of FIG. 2. As shown, the desk with tilt-adjustable tops of the
present invention mainly includes a stand frame 1, a front top 2,
and a rear top 3.
[0017] The stand frame 1 includes a pair of side columns 11, a pair
of side members 12 separately mounted to upper ends of the two side
columns 11, a pair of legs 13 separately connected to lower ends of
the two side columns 11, an upper stretcher 14 mounted between
substantially middle points of the two side members 12, a lower
stretcher 15 mounted between substantially middle points of the two
legs 13, and a central column 16 mounted between substantially
middle points of the upper and the lower stretcher 14, 15 of the
stand frame 1.
[0018] The central column 16 and the two side columns 11 are
height-adjustable. For example, the central column 16 may be an air
cylinder, and each of the two side columns 11 may include a lower
section 111 and an upper section 112 telescoped in the lower
section 111 and provided with a row of locating holes 113, so that
the upper section 112 may be located at a desired height relative
to the lower section 111 by fixing a locating screw 114 into a
selected locating hole 113 via the lower section 111. With the
central column 16 in the form of an air cylinder, an overall height
of the stand frame 1 could be freely adjusted under control. And,
with two locating screws 114 separately fixed into two
symmetrically corresponding locating holes 113 on the two side
columns 11, the stand frame 1 could be maintained at the desired
height set via the central column 16.
[0019] A storage box 17 is provided on the stand frame 1 between
the two side members 12 to normally invisibly locate below a rear
portion of the front top 2. When the front top 2 is pulled forward,
the storage box 17 is exposed and a user may conveniently access
stationery and office supplies positioned in the storage box
17.
[0020] A computer case carriage 18 is mounted on one end of the
lower stretcher 15 of the stand frame 1 for holding a computer case
thereon. And, a compact disk (CD) rack 19 is hung below at least
one of the two side members 12 for holding a plurality of compact
disks.
[0021] The front top 2 is mounted to an upper front portion of the
stand frame 1, such as front ends of the two side members 12, via a
front tilt control device 21.
[0022] The front top 2 includes a supporting frame 22 located below
it. The supporting frame 22 is mounted at two lateral sides to
inner front ends of the two side members 12 of the stand frame 1,
and pivotally connected at a front end to a bottom front portion of
the front top 2 via first hinges 23. The above-mentioned front tilt
control device 21 is located between the supporting frame 22 and a
position close to a bottom rear portion of the front top 2.
[0023] The front tilt control device 21 may be, for example, a
positioning plate with a row of locating holes to enable stepped
tilt adjustment, or an air cylinder to enable stepless tilt
adjustment. With the front tilt control device 21, the front top 2
could be pivotally turned about the first hinges 23 to lift a rear
edge thereof at a tilt angle between zero and twenty-five degrees,
which is suitable for a user to write, draw, or read at the front
top 2. The front top 2 may be provided with an anti-slip surface to
prevent articles positioned on the front top 2 from undesirable
slipping or sliding.
[0024] The side members 12 of the stand frame 1 are provided with a
slide way 121 each, and the supporting frame 22 of the front top 2
is slidably mounted in the slide ways 121 via slide rails to move
forward or rearward relative to the side members 12. In a preferred
embodiment of the present invention, the supporting frame 22 is
allowed to move relative to the side members 11 within a range from
zero to twenty centimeters. That is, the front top 2 could be
forward pulled closer to a user and used in a more comfortable
manner, and to expose the storage box 17 on the stand frame 1 for
the user to conveniently access stationery and office supplied
positioned therein. When the front top 2 is pushed rearward to a
home position, the storage box 17 is concealed and a wide and neat
top is provided. A keyboard slide 24 is slidably mounted below the
supporting frame 22 for holding a keyboard thereon.
[0025] The rear top 3 is mounted to an upper rear portion of the
stand frame 1, such as near upper rear ends of the two side members
12, via a rear tilt control device 31. The rear top 3 is pivotally
connected at two lower front ends to two near middle points of the
two side members 12 via second hinges 32 with the rear tilt control
device 31 located between the rear ends of the side members 12 and
a position close to a bottom front of the rear top 3.
[0026] The rear top 3 may be made of a metal material, or have
metal elements (not shown) embedded therein. Magnetic elements may
be utilized to magnetically attach necessary documents to the rear
top 3 for viewing conveniently.
[0027] The above-mentioned rear tilt control device 31 may be, for
example, a positioning plate with a row of locating holes to enable
stepped tilt adjustment, or an air cylinder to enable stepless tilt
adjustment. With the rear tilt control device 31, the rear top 3
could be pivotally turned about the second hinges 32 to lift a rear
edge thereof at a tilt angle between zero and ninety degrees, which
is suitable for a user to watch the documents positioned on the
rear top 3.
[0028] To use the desk of the present invention, a user may
separately adjust the front and the rear top 2, 3 to different tilt
angles, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. With the front top 2 adjusted to
a desired tilt angle and/or a position closer to the user, the user
may read, write, and draw at the front top 2 more comfortably
without the problem of glare or reflective light due to different
angles of light. Meanwhile, with the rear top 3 adjusted to a
desired tilt angle, books or documents to be viewed may be
inclinedly positioned thereon to enable best viewing of these books
or documents while writing or drawing at the front top 2. In this
manner, the front and the rear top 2, 3 may be separately adjusted
to different states most suitable for the user to use. In normal
time, the front and the rear top 2, 3 may be restored to an initial
horizontal state as shown in FIG. 4, or located in the same plane,
with the storage box 17 invisibly located below the front top 2 to
provide a complete and planar space over the tops 2, 3 for the desk
of the present invention to serve as a general desk with increased
usable top surface.
[0029] The desk with tilt-adjustable tops according to the present
invention allows a user not only to best utilize the space above
the desk for different purposes, but also adjust the front and the
rear top to different tilt angles best for viewing in terms of
ergonomics, and thereby reducing discomfort of user's eyes and/or
body caused by working at the desk over a prolonged time.
[0030] The present invention has been described with a preferred
embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and
modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention
that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
* * * * *