US20140144352A1

US20140144352A1 - Portable and adjustable desktop workstation

Info

Publication number: US20140144352A1
Application number: US14/079,760
Authority: US
Inventors: Christopher John Roberts
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2012-11-24
Filing date: 2013-11-14
Publication date: 2014-05-29

Abstract

According to principles of the present inventive concepts, a desktop workstation in configured to be supported on an existing work surface and enable adjustment of a height of a work surface between a lowered and a raised position. In a lowered position, the work surface is arranged at a height from the existing work surface that facilitates use by a user in a seated position and, in a raised position, the work surface is arranged at a height from the existing work surface that facilitates use by the user in a standing position.

Description

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/729,591, filed Nov. 24, 2012, the contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Inventive Concepts
The present inventive concepts relate generally to ergonomic adjustable desktop work stands. More particularly, these inventive concepts relate to a desktop work surface that can accommodate one or more monitors and keyboard and is easily adjustable between two or more positions to facilitate use in either a standing or seated position.
2. Related Art
A growing body of medical research suggests that sitting for eight or more hours a day is associated with an increased incidence of health problems. Various prior attempts have been made to facilitate use of a computer in a standing position, including, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,865,403; 4,986,193; 5,037,056; 7,677,518; 7,765,940; and 8,061,278.
The emerging market of conventional devices designed to provide a stand-up computing environment can generally be categorized into one of two types. The first requires a user to purchase an entirely new adjustable desk that replaces their existing furniture. This approach, however, is expensive and impractical for most people. In addition to the cost, many people have to work with, and sometimes share, existing office equipment. The second approach involves placing a low-cost device on top of an existing work surface to raise the height of the work surface to accommodate use in a stand-up position. Though affordable, this arrangement requires a full-time commitment to a standing posture and is not readily adaptable to a person's changing circumstances or an office environment where equipment is shared by individuals with different preferences. In addition, the size and configuration of most of these devices limits options with respect to the variety and quantity of equipment that can be used at a workstation.
Unfortunately, prior to the present inventive concepts, there has not been a portable desktop workstation that permits easy adjustment of the workstation surface between two or more positions to readily facilitate use in either a sitting or standing position.

SUMMARY

According to various embodiments and principles of the present inventive concepts, a desktop workstation can provide numerous improvements over the prior art. For instance, a desktop workstation according to the inventive concepts can accommodate one or more monitors and a keyboard and can be easily adjusted to allow a user to work from either a standing or sitting position.
According to principles of the present inventive concepts, a desktop workstation provides a platform that accommodates a variety of equipment and which can be placed on existing office furniture (i.e., a desktop), while allowing a user to easily adjust between sitting or standing positions as needed.
According to one aspect of the present inventive concepts, a desktop workstation can be used on existing desktops, office areas, tables, and other surfaces and provides easily adjustable positions. A user may quickly alternate between use in either sitting or standing positions with ease throughout the work day. The workstation therefore also allows one workstation to be adjusted for multiple users with different needs and preferences. It also provides the user a standing desktop surface work area that accommodates a wide variety of equipment and uses, for instance, accommodating multiple monitors. It further does not require permanent installation or fixing of monitors and keyboards to the device.
The desktop workstation according to principles of the present inventive concepts can be affordable, portable, lightweight, and can further include an aesthetically pleasing high end furniture design such as a natural wood construction with options for custom stains or materials.
In one embodiment. the desktop workstation comprises one or more work surfaces that can be configured to support one or more monitors, a keyboard and a mouse. The work surfaces are preferably supported by a leg assembly that permits the work surfaces to be arranged on a desktop, table, or other existing work surface in two or more height positions, including at least one raised position and one lowered position.
The leg assembly may, for instance, include a scissored leg assembly that supports the workstation at multiple heights. One or more ends of the leg assembly can be connected to the work surface(s) using a track assembly that permits a leg connection to slide along the track while remaining connected to the work surface. One or more biasing mechanisms, such as springs, can be used to bias the workstation height in a stable position at either its raised or lowered positions. The biasing mechanisms can further facilitate easy transition between the lowered and the raised positions.
An adjustment mechanism can include a rod connected to a sliding rail. The sliding rail can be connected to the legs and configured to slide along the track assembly to raise and lower the work platform. The rod can further pass through a spring loaded release lever arranged on a side of the workstation platform. The rod can have a frictional engagement with the release lever to bias the workstation in its raised position until the release lever is depressed.
Various aspects, embodiments, and configurations of the inventive concepts are possible without departing from the principles disclosed herein. The inventive concepts are therefore not limited to any of the particular aspects, embodiments, or configurations described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing and additional objects, features, and advantages of the present inventive concepts will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, made with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic perspective view of a desktop workstation in a raised position with a monitor and keyboard arranged on top according to one embodiment incorporating principles of the present inventive concepts;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat schematic bottom plan view of the workstation of FIG. 1 showing components arranged below the upper work surface(s);

FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematic axonometric exploded perspective view of the desktop workstation of FIG. 1 further illustrating components and construction of the workstation;

FIG. 4 is a somewhat schematic exploded perspective view of upper components of the workstation of FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 5A and 5B are somewhat schematic sectional views, taken along line A-A in FIG. 3, illustrating the workstation of FIG. 1 in raised and lowered positions, respectively.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Various features, benefits, and configurations incorporating principles of the present inventive concepts in illustrative embodiments are shown and described in detail in the following description and accompanying drawings. Additional features, benefits and configurations will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art based on this disclosure, and all such features, benefits and configurations are considered within the scope of the present inventive concepts.
Various illustrative embodiments will now be described in connection with the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic perspective view of an adjustable workstation or stand 100 constructed according to principles of the present inventive concepts, shown arranged in a raised position on a desktop surface 40 and supporting a monitor 50 and keyboard 55. Of course, rather than supporting a monitor 50 and keyboard 55, the workstation 100 can support other equipment or devices or can simply supply a work surface for performing other desired tasks.
Referring initially to FIG. 1, the stand 100 operates using a combination of spring forces and surface friction acting through the legs, track and rail assemblies, and the control rod/release lever to allow the workstation 100 to alternate between two or more stable positions, including, for instance, a raised position and a lowered position.
A top portion of this workstation 100 can, for instance, include two horizontal platforms or work surfaces 110, 112. A larger upper (main) platform 110 can be configured to support one or more flat panel monitors 50, while a lower (secondary) platform 112 can be sized to hold a keyboard 55 and a mouse or other tracking device (not shown). Alternatively, the work surface can be a single platform or more than two platforms, depending on the equipment or tasks for which it is being designed.
FIG. 2 is a somewhat schematic bottom plan view illustrating the underside of the stand 100 of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 is a somewhat schematic axonometric exploded perspective view of the desktop workstation of FIG. 1 further illustrating components and construction of the workstation. Referring additionally to FIGS. 2 and 3, a bottom assembly of the workstation 100 can comprise an adjustment mechanism that facilitates adjustment of the height of the platforms 110, 112 using a combination of spring forces and surface friction acting through the legs, track and rail assemblies, and a control rod/release lever. The adjustment mechanism can include, for instance, a leg assembly 120 having leg sections 122, 124 connected together in a scissored assembly and attached to the upper platforms 110, 112 using a combination of fixed hinges 7 and a sliding horizontal rail 12 that moves as the stand 100 is raised or lowered.
Extension springs 6 may be mounted to the underside of deck 1 of the main platform 110 to be used to bias a position of the legs and counter the motion of the sliding rail 12 attached to the leg assembly 120. As the stand 100 is lowered, the spring tension counters the weight of the platforms 110, 112 and equipment 50, 55 to create a state of neutral buoyancy. This allows a user to lower the stand 100 with minimal effort. Due to the scissored leg configuration 120, the springs 6 act with variable leverage relative to the position of the legs 30, 32. In the lowered position (see FIG. 5B) the springs 6 lose the advantage of leverage which allows the stand 100 to remain static in the lowered position until the user actively lifts up on the stand 100.
A control rod (e.g., a steel rod) 14 can be mounted to the sliding rail 12 such that it passes through the right (or left) side of the monitor platform 110. The rod 14 also preferably passes through a spring-loaded release lever 15 on a right (or left) side of the stand 100. When the stand 100 is raised, the rod 14 follows the motion of the rail 12 and passes freely through an opening in the lever mechanism 15 pulled by spring tension towards the center of the stand 100.
When the springs 6 reach their biased (shortened) length and the stand 100 is in its upper position (see also FIG. 5A), surface friction from a sidewall of the opening in the release lever 15 against the rod 14 prevents the rod 14 and rail 12 from moving out from the center of the stand 100 unless the release lever 15 is actively depressed by the user to reduce or remove the frictional force. This mechanism allows for micro adjustments in the final height of the raised stand 100 and acts as a safety mechanism to ensure that the stand 100 is not inadvertently lowered and can instead be safely lowered in a controlled fashion.
Specific components of a preferred embodiment of the inventive concepts will now be described in further detail. The main (monitor) platform 110 can include a deck 1 (constructed, for instance, of ¾″ plywood), and right, front, and left aprons 2, 3, and 4, respectively (constructed, for instance, of ¾″×2″ oak board). The front apron 3 and secondary (keyboard) platform 112 (including a keyboard deck 9 and edge banding 10, 11) can be connected together using steel L-brackets 8.
The leg assembly 120 can include an inner leg assembly 122 and an outer leg assembly 124. The inner leg assembly 122 can include legs 30 attached to each other through a fixed top rail 29 and a bottom rail 31. The outer leg assembly 124 can include legs 32 connected together through a bottom rail 33 and attached to the sliding rail 12 using hinges 34. A threaded rod 38 can provide an attachment/pivot point for the inner and outer leg assemblies, with washers 26 and nuts 24, 28 arranged to hold the rod 38 and legs 30, 32 in place in a scissored relationship.
The inner leg assembly 122 can be mounted to the underside of the main platform 110 using hinges 7. The outer leg assembly 124 can be connected to the main deck 1 indirectly through spring assemblies 126 (each including a D-ring bracket 5, spring 6, eye bolt 35, washer 36, and nut 37), the sliding rail 12, and a track assembly 136 (including, for instance, a track (T-rack) retention block 18, tracks (T-racks) 19, T-bolts 20, nylon washers 21, compression springs 22, thumb knobs 23, and steel washers 25 (see also FIG. 4)).
The eye bolts 35 of the spring assemblies 126 bolt through the top of the outer legs 32 while the D-ring brackets 5 attach to the underside of the monitor deck 1. Steel hinges 34 attach the outer legs 32 to the sliding rail 12. The control rod 14 passes through an opening in the release lever assembly (including a lever bar 15, a compression spring (e.g., music wire) 16, a T-bolt 17, a steel washer 26, a neoprene washer 27, and a cap nut 28) and an opening in the right-side apron 2 of the main platform 110. The control rod 14 is further bolted through the sliding rail 12 and a ball knob 13 can be arranged on an end of the control rod 14.
Referring now specifically to FIG. 3, this view shows the monitor 110 and keyboard platforms 112 with the control rod assembly 130 and release lever 15. The release lever 15 preferably mounts to the right-side apron 2 of the main platform 110 with the control rod 14 feeding through mating openings in the release lever 15 and apron 2. The control rod 14 bolts through the sliding rail 12 underneath the monitor platform 110. The sliding rail 12 is connected to both the steel hinges 34 of the outer leg assembly 124 and the track assembly 136 (see also FIGS. 2, 4, 5A and 5B). The complete leg assembly 120 is shown in an upright position with the eyebolt components 35, 36, 37 of the spring assembly 126 bolted through the outer legs 32. The eyebolt components 35, 36, 37 are also shown separate from the leg assembly 120 in this view. A view of an all-thread assembly 132, including components 24, 26, 38, 39, is shown separate from the complete leg assembly 120 to illustrate the sequence and spacing of nuts 39 and washers 24, 26 along the threaded rod 38.
FIG. 4 is a somewhat schematic exploded view of an upper platform assembly of the stand 100. Referring now additionally to FIG. 4, this view illustrates the separate components of the platforms 110, 112, control rod assembly 130, release lever assembly 115, track assembly 136 and sliding rail 12. As explained previously, in one embodiment, the main platform 110 can comprise a ¾″ plywood deck 1 and a ¾″ wood apron 3, 2, 4 wrapping the front, right, and left sides, respectively of the deck 1. Three components mount to the underside of the plywood deck 1, including the inner leg assembly 122, the spring assemblies 126, and the track assembly 136.
The inner leg assembly 122 is attached to the deck 1 with steel hinges 7. The spring assemblies 126 are attached to the deck through the D-ring brackets 5. The tracks 18 of the track assembly 136 are set into routed grooves on the underside of the deck 1. More specifically, the tracks 18 can be secured to the deck by a mounting block 18 at one end and by drilling two holes into in the back of the right apron 4 to receive the other end of the tracks. These mounting locations are indicated by the dashed lines on the underside of the deck 1 in FIG. 4.
The smaller, secondary platform 112 can include a ½″ plywood deck 9 to provide a keyboard platform. The deck 9 can be edged with ¾″ wood banding 10, 11 and mounts to the front apron 3 on the main platform 110 with two steel L-brackets 8. Holes can be provided in the front apron 3 to accommodate equipment cords, such as keyboard and mouse cords, for instance. Mounting locations for the steel brackets 8 are again indicated with dashed lines.
The lever bar 15 of the release lever assembly 115 can be bolted to the right apron 2 of the monitor platform 110 with a ¼″ T-bolt 17 secured with a neoprene washer 27 and cap nut 28. The ⅜″ control rod 14 feeds through a hole in the lever bar 15, a compression spring 16, a ⅜″ washer 26 and then passes through a hole in the right apron 2 to bolt through the sliding rail 12 underneath the monitor deck 1. Two ¼″ T-bolts 20 can connect the sliding rail 12 to the tracks 19 of the track assembly 136. These bolts 20 preferably pass through (in sequence) the slots in the tracks 19, ¼″ nylon washers 21, two ¼″ holes drilled through the sliding rail 12, ¼″ steel washers 25, compression springs 22, ¼″ steel washers 25, and finally two ¼″ thumb knobs 23.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are somewhat schematic sectional views taken along line A-A of FIG. 3, illustrating the workstation 100 in raised and lowered positions, respectively. Referring first to FIG. 5A, the stand 100 is shown in an upright or raised position. In this position, the extension springs 6 are in their preferred, biased (shortened) state which positions the sliding rail 12 at the furthest point along the track assembly 136 from the right side apron 2, and toward the center of the workstation. The scissored leg assembly 120 can include inner and outer leg assemblies 122, 124, respectively, connected together by the all-thread assembly 132 to allow them to pivot between raised and lowered positions.
Referring now to FIG. 5B, the stand 100 is shown in a lowered position. In this position, the extension springs 6 are in an extended (stretched) state, which positions the sliding rail 12 at the point along the track assembly 136 closest to the right side apron 2. In this lowered position, due to the scissored leg configuration, the springs 6 lose the advantage of leverage which allows the stand 100 to remain static in the lowered position until the user actively lifts up on the stand 100.
Having described and illustrated principles of the present inventive concepts in various preferred embodiments thereof, it should be apparent that the inventive concepts can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. Multiple alternate embodiments of this device are also possible.
For instance, although the main embodiment has been described as having a primarily wood construction, the device may be constructed out of any desirable material or combination of materials (e.g., substituting metal or plastic parts for wood). The device could also be constructed using many different platform configurations (e.g., a single deep platform instead of two platforms, or multiple platforms at the same or different levels). The device could also be constructed and purposed for many alternate uses that require a similar type of dynamic desktop platform (e.g., a platform for writing or performing other tasks from either a sitting or standing position). The device could further be designed and manufactured to accommodate left-handed users (e.g., having the control rod and release lever located on a left side of the workstation). The device could also be augmented in various other ways, such as providing adjustable legs or feet that allow for multiple different raised positions and thereby permit a greater range in height adjustments. Springs with different ratings could also be used to accommodate different expected loads. And air springs or other biasing mechanisms may be substituted for extension springs to achieve a similar mechanical action. Still other variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the present disclosure.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A workstation configured to rest on an existing work surface and permit adjustment of a height of a work surface relative to the existing work surface, said work station comprising:

a work surface comprising one or more work platforms;

a leg assembly configured to stably support the one or more work platforms at any of multiple user selectable height positions with respect to the existing work surface; and

an adjustment mechanism that permits a user to selectively adjust the height of the work surface between the multiple user selectable height positions.

2. A workstation according to claim 1, wherein the one or more work platforms comprise a main work platform and a secondary work platform arranged at different heights with respect to each other and the existing work surface.

3. A workstation according to claim 2, wherein the main work platform is configured to support one or more monitors and wherein the secondary work platform is configured to support a keyboard and a tracking device.

4. A workstation according to claim 1, wherein the one or more work platforms comprises a single platform configured to support one or more monitors and a keyboard.

5. A workstation according to claim 1, wherein the leg assembly comprises a first leg assembly and a second leg assembly connected together in a scissored relationship.

6. A workstation according to claim 1, wherein the first leg assembly is connected to the one or more work platforms in a fixed hinged relationship, and wherein the second leg assembly is connected to the one or more work platforms in a sliding hinged relationship.

7. A workstation according to claim 6, wherein the sliding hinged relationship is provided using a sliding rail connected to the second leg assembly through one or more hinges, and wherein the sliding rail is connected to a track assembly attached to the one or more work platforms.

8. A workstation according to claim 1, wherein the multiple user selectable height positions includes a lowered position to facilitate use of the workstation by a user in a sitting position and a raised position to facilitate use by a user in a standing position.

9. A workstation according to claim 8, further comprising a biasing mechanism configured to bias the workstation in the raised position.

10. A workstation according to claim 7, further comprising a control rod connected to the sliding rail and configured to frictionally engage a release lever, such that said control rod holds the workstation in a desired position until the release lever is actuated.

11. An adjustable workstation configured to be supported on an existing work surface, said workstation comprising:

a work platform configured to be adjustable between a raised position to facilitate use by a user in a standing position, and a lowered position to facilitate use by a user in a sitting position; and

an adjustment mechanism that permits the user to adjust the height of the work platform between the raised and lowered positions.

12. A workstation according to claim 12, further comprising a leg assembly arranged to support the work platform in either the raised or lowered position depending on the user selection.

13. A workstation according to claim 12, wherein the leg assembly comprises first and second leg assemblies connected together in a scissored relationship.

14. A workstation according to claim 13, further comprising a sliding rail connected to the work platform in a sliding relationship, wherein the first leg assembly is connected to the sliding rail to adjust a location of an upper end of the first leg assembly with respect to the work platform.

15. A workstation according to claim 14, further comprising a biasing mechanism configured to bias the sliding rail in toward a center of the work platform.

16. A workstation configured to rest on an existing work surface and permit adjustment of a height of a work platform relative to the existing work surface, said work station comprising:

one or more work platforms;

a leg assembly comprising first and second leg assemblies connected together in a scissored relationship, said leg assembly configured to stably support the one or more work platforms at any one of multiple user selectable height positions with respect to the existing work surface;

a track assembly arranged on the one or more work platforms, wherein an upper end of the second leg assembly is connected to one or more work platforms in a slidable relationship through the track assembly; and

17. A workstation according to claim 16, further comprising a slide rail connected to the track assembly to slide between a position near a side of the work platform and a center of the work platform, wherein the slide rail is further connected to the upper end of the second leg assembly in a hinged relationship.

18. A workstation according to claim 17, wherein the first leg assembly is connected to the work platform in a hinged relationship at a fixed position.

19. A workstation according to claim 18, further comprising a biasing spring attached between the slide rail and a location on the work platform, wherein the biasing spring biases a position of the slide rail toward the center of the workstation.

20. A workstation according to claim 19, further comprising a control rod connected to the slide rail and disposed through a release lever arranged at a side of the workstation, wherein the release lever is configured to engage the control rod in a frictional relationship to maintain the workstation in its raised position until the release lever is depressed.