Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
Various Eorm~ of portable desks, podiums and legged carrying cases
heretofore have been provided such as the Portable Desk-Work Bench disclosed
in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,404,915, dated September 20, 1983. ~owever, such
previously known structures, for the most part, are no~ fully collapsible into
a completely closed ,:arrying case and do not include openable drawers completely
hidden from view when the drawers are closed and the case itself is fully closed.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved form of portable desk, work table and
carrying case combination.
The portable desk, work table and carrying case combination of the
instant invention includes a top unit including forwardly openable upper and
lower drawers and a downwardly opening cover pivotally supported at its rear
marginal edge from the rear marginal edge of the top unit for swinging between
a closed position telescoped over the upper portion of the top unit preventing
the upper drawer from being opened and an open position with the cover project-
ing upwardly from the rear marginal edge of the top unit. Further, the cover
is also supported for movement, when the cover is in the open position, verti-
cally downward relat;ve to the top unit with the forward marginal edge of the
cover disposed immediately rearwardly of tne rear marginal edge of the top
unit and the rear marginal edge of the cover projecting downwardly and the
lower rear marginal portion of the top unit. Also, the top unit defines cen-
tral and opposite side front to rear extending downwardly opening compartments
in which central and opposite side legs are stored in collapsed positions and
from which the legs may depend substantially vertically downwardly in operative
positions for support of the combination from upwardly facing support surfaces
with which the lower ends of the legs are engaged. The combination further
includes a bottom panel hingedly supported at its rear marginal edge from
the lower rear marginal edge of the top unit and swingable between a closed
position closing said compartments from below and an open position depending
downwardly from the lower rear marginal portion of the top unit closely forward
of the depending cover. The bottom panel includes a closure panel swingably
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supported from the free swinging edge thereof and the closure panel is swing-
able in~o closed position closely forward of lower drawers of the top unit
when the botto~ panel is in the closed position thereby preventing the lower
drawers from opening. The assembly, when the bottom panel, closure panel and
cover are in the closed positions thereof, is completely closed and has the
appearance of a substantially convent;onal carrying case, the forward marginal
portion of the top unit including a pivoted carrying handle.
The main object of this invention is to provide a combined desk,
work table and carrying case which may be opened to provide access to not
only an upper working surface but also to expose multiple forwardly slidable
drawers and which further may include a single central front leg and a pair
of opposite side rear legs, the front leg being short and engageable with
the forward marginal portion of a chair seat upon which the user of the
combination is seated and the front legs being long for engagement with
the floor surface upon which the seat occupied by the user is disposed.
Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus in
accordance with the preceding object and wherein various readily accessible
latch structure are provided for retaining the cover and the closure panel,
and thus the bottom panel, in the closed positions.
~0 A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated
herein is to provide a combined desk, work table and carrying case in
accordance with the preceding objects and which conform to conventional
forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to
provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and rela-
tively trouble free in operation.
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the desk, work table and carrying
case combination in the fully closed position;
Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the carrying case with por-
tions thereof being broken away and with the downwardly opening cover thereof
in a partially open position;
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Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illu5-
trating the rear upper marginal portion of the top unit of the invention and
witll the cover in a fully open and downwardly displaced out-of-the-way position;
Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken
substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 4--4 of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is an enlarged front elevational view of the case with the
case and bottom panel removed;
Figure 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially
upon the plane indicated by the section line 6--6 of Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the
short central front leg in a depending position;
Figure 8 is a front elevational view of the invention with a portion
of the forward left side thereof being broken away and illustrated in vertical
section;
Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the case as seen
from Figure 8 and with the bottom panel and attached closure panel in a par-
tially open position;
Figure 10 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substan-
tially upon the plane indicated by the section line lO--10 of Figure B;
Figure 11 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the invention
with the cover and bottom panel removed;
Figure 12 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the
plane indicated by the section line 12--12 of Figure 11;
Figure 13 is a fragmentary secti.onal view illustrating one of the
opposite side depending legs in the fully extended position thereof;
Figure 14 is a Eragmentary front elevational view of the invention
with portions of the near walls thereof broken away in order to illustrate
the cover latching structure;
Figure 15 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken sub-
stantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 15--15 of Figure 14;
Figure 16 is a reduced scale perspective view of the ;nstant
invention in the fully open position; and
Figure 17 is a fragmentary schematic view of a modified form of
pivot and latching structure for attaching each of the legs to the top unit
of the invention.
Referring now more specifically to Figs. 1, 5, 6 and 8 of the
drawings~ the numeral 10 generally designates the portable desk, work table
and carrying case combination of the instant invention. The combination 10
includes a top unit 12 in the form of a hollow housing defining an upper
substantially full width forwardly open drawer compartment 14, a reduced width
and forwardly opening intermediate drawer compartment 16 and a pair of lower
laterally spaced apart drawer compartments 18. The top unit includes a front
marginal portion 19, a rear marginal portion 20 and opposite side marginal
portions 22 and 24. The compartments 16 and 18 are spaced inwardly of the
marginal portions 22 and 24 and the compartments 14 and 16 have forwardly
openable upper and lower drawers 26 and 28 disposed therein, thereas the
compartments 18 include forwardly openable drawers 30 therein.
That portion of the top or drawer unit disposed between the drawers
30 def;nes a downwardly opening front leg cavity 32 and those portions of the
20 unit 12 disposed at remote sides of the drawers 28 and 30 define downwardly
opening rear leg cavities 34, see Fig. 12. The front leg cavity 32 has a
mounting bracket 36 mounted in the forward end thereof to which the upper end
of a downwardly swingable short front leg 38 is pivotally mounted as at 40.
The front leg 38 includes an outer sleeve 42 slidably telescoped thereover
and includes a detent member 44 mounted on the free end of a leaf spring 4
anchored to the sleeve 42 as at 48. The leg 38 includes first and second
longitudinally spaced openings S0 and 52 formed therein in which the detent
member 44 may be received. When the detent member 44 is received in the
opening 50, the sleeve 42 is telescoped away from the pivotal connection at
40. ~owever, when the leg 38 has its free end swung downwardly to an
operative position, the detent member ~4 i9 laterally outwardly retracted from
the opening 50, the sleeve 42 is shifted upwardly along the leg 38 and
~elescopingly engaged over the pivot connection at 40 and held in upwardly
sh;fted position by engagement of the detent member 44 and the opening 52.
I~hen the sleeve 42 is in the upwardly displaced position, the upper end of the
sleeve 42 telescopingly receives the pivot connection as at 40 therein and
thereby retains the leg 38 in the downwardly extending operative position.
The lower or free end of the sleeve 42 includes a foot member supported
therefrom for engagement with the central portion of the forward marg;nal edge
of a chair seat portion.
Each of the cavities 34 receives a long rear leg 56 therein3 see
Figs. 11, including a pair of upper and lower leg members 58 and 60,see Fig.
12, pivotally joined together by a connecting bar 62 extending between and
pivotally joined to the leg members 58 and 60 as at 64 and 66. ~ach upper leg
member 58 is pivotally mounted within the corresponding cavity 34 by a bracket
68 corresponding to the bracket 36 and includes an outer sleeve 70 which
functions in the same manner as the upper end of the sleeve 42. The leg
member 60 includes an outer sleeve 72 which is longitudinally shiftable over
the pivot structure 62, 64 and 66 pivotally interconnecting the leg members 58
20 and 60 in order to retain the leg members 58 and 60 in longitudinally aligned
positions. Also, the free end of the sleeve 72 includes a foot member 74
corresponding to the foot member 54.
The rear legs 56 are considerably longer than the front leg 38 and
are adapted to extend downwardly from the top unit or housing 12 for engagement
with an upwardly facing floor surface upon which a chair with whose forward
seat portions the leg 38 is engaged is supported.
The upper portion of the top unit or housing 12 includes a down-
wardly opening cover 76, see Fig. 2, including a front marginal portion 88, a
rear marginal portion 90 and opposite side marginal portions 92 and 94. A
pair of front-to-rear shiftable mounting brackets 96 are supported from the
rear portions of the oppos-ite side marginal port;ons 92 and 94 for shifting
between front and rear limit positions aQd are spring biaged, by compression
springs ~8 toward tlleir rearmost limit positions. The brackets ~6 include
rearwardly projecting arm portions lO0, see Fig. 3, whose rear ends support
opposite end portions of a cross shaft 102 extending therebetween and havillg
rollers 104 journalled thereon. The rollers 104 are gllidingly received in
slotted brackets 106 supported from and extending along the marginal portions
92 and 94. In addition, the rear ends of the marginal portions 92 and 94
include abutment brackets 108, see Figs. 3 and 4, supported therefrom against
1~ which the end portions of the cross shaft 102 are abuttingly engageable when
the brackets 96 are shifted toward their forward limit positions.
From a comparison of Figures 2, 9 and 16 of the drawings, it may
be seen that the cover 76 may be swung upwardly from the fully closed
position thereof illustrated in Figure 9 through the partially open position
thereof illustrated in Figure 2 and thereafter shifted downwardly toward a
position with the cover 76 vertically disposed and spaced slightly rearward
of the rear marginal portion 20 of the top unit 12 and with the rear marginal
portion 92 of the cover 76 lowermost and the front marginal portion 88 of the
cover 76 uppermost and generally coextensive with the top unit 12.
From Figures 9 and 16 of the drawings, it may also be seen that the
top unit 12 includes a bottom panel 110 having a front marginal portion 112,
a rear marginal portion 11~ and opposite side marginal portions 116 supported
therefrom. The rear marginal portion 114 is pivotally supported from the lower
portion of the rear marginal portion 20 as at 118 and the bottom panel 110 is
swingable between a depending open position extending substantially vertically
downward from the rear marginal portion 20 of the top unit 12 in the manner
illustrated in Figure 16 of the drawings to a closed position substantially
flush with the undersurface of the top unit 12 and closing the lower ends of
the cavities 32 and 34 and thereby serving to retain the legs 38 and 56 therein.
The forward marginal portion 112 of the bottom panel 110 includes a
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clos~lre panel 120 pivotally supported therefrom ag at 12~. The closure panel
120, after the bottom panel 110 has been swung to the fully closed position, may
be swung rearwardly and inwardly to a closed position closely opposing forward
ends of the drawers 28 and 30 and in which closed position the closure panel
120 may be releasably latched by spring biased latch assemblies 12~ shiftably
supported from closure panel 120 and releasable upon inward displacement of
spring returned latch release levers 126 pivotally mounted in forward lower
corner portions of the top unit 12. Also, the opposite ends of the forward
marginal portion 88 of the cover 7~ includes spring biased pivotally mounted
latching levers 128, see Fig. 14, hook engageable with front-to-rear extending
keeper pins 130 mounted in the forward marginal portion 18 of the top unit 12
and releasable upon inward displacement of the lower ends of pivotally mounted
spring returned latch releasing levers 132 mounted in the for~ard corner
portions of the side marginal portions of the cover 76.
With attention invited more specifically to Figure 1 of the drawing~
it may be seen that the combination 10 has the appearance of a substantially
conventional brief case when in the fully closed position. However, with
attention now invited more specifically to Figure 16, when the cover 76 is
fully open, the bottom panel 110 is fully opened and the legs 38 and 56 are
in their downwardly extended positions, the combination 10 may be used as a
desk by a person seated on a chair and having the short front leg 38 bearing
downward upon the central forward marginal edge of the seat of the chair
between the user's legs and the lower ends of the legs 56 engaged with the
floor surface upon which the chair is disposed.
The forward marginal portion 88 of the cover 76 maintains the upper
drawer 22 in a closed position when the cover 76 is closed and the closure
panel 120, when the bottom panel 110 is in the closed position and the clo-
sure panel 120 is in the closed position, maintains the drawers 28 and 30 in
the closed positions. Further, when the bottom panel 110 is in the closed
position, the legs 38 and 58 are maintained in their fully collapsed positions
L~; ~
illustrated in Figures 6 and 12.
With attention now invited more specifically to Figure 17 of the
drawings, there may be seen a modified form oF leg 38' which ~ay be used in
lieu of the leg 38. The leg 38' is pivotally mounted as at 40' Erom a mounting
bracket 36' corresponding to the mounting bracket 36 and including a spring
biased retractable detent 41 selectively engageable in suitable notches 43
formed in and spaced about the pivotally mounted end of the leg 38'. The
engagement of the detent 41 in selected notches 43 may be used to maintain
the leg 38' in either the horizontal retracted position or the downwardly
depending operative position. Of course, when the detent and notch structure
41, 43 is used, there is no need to provide a sleeve such as the sleeve 42.
Further, the detent and notch structure, 41, 43 may also be used to mount the
base ends of the legs 56 within the cavities 34, if desired, ~nd in such case
there is no need to provide sleeves corresponding to the sleeves 70.
The forward marginal portion 88 of the cover 76 includes a pair of
spring biased plungers 140, sea Fig. 14, which bear downwardly upon the
upwardly facing forward marginal portion of the horizontally outwardly
projecting shoulder 142 extending about the intermediate height portion of the
top unit 12 and thereby serve to initially upwardly displace the forward
marginal adge portion 88 of the cover 76 when the latch levers 128 are
released from engagement with the shafts or pins 130. Further, the lower
edges of the downwardly opening cover 76 closely oppose the shoulder 142, see
Fig. 8, when the cover 76 is in the closed position and the lower central
portion of the front marginal portion 88 of the cover 76 has a bale-type
carrying handle 144 pivotally supported therefrom as at 148, whereby the
combination 10 may be carried in the manner of a brief case when it is fully
closed as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.
