Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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LIFTING SYSTEM FOR USE WITH FURNITURE ELEMENTS
FOR IMPROVING ERGONO1VHCS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
111 The present invention relates generally to commercial, corporate and
scientific furniture
equipment but more particularly to a lifting system for use with furniture
elements for improving
ergonomics.
2. Description of Related Art
121 In various fields of activities, special furniture is required to
optimize workflow. More and more
notions of ergonomics are making their way into furniture design in the
workplace. What has been
found is that it is necessary for a worker to change body posture throughout
the day. Often, this is
something as simple as changing the way the arms interact with the handling of
tools or equipment.
Sometimes it implies shifting from a sitting position to a standing position.
In order to encourage body
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position shifting while keeping optimal ergonomic posture, the work surface,
such as a table or a desk,
has to be raised or lowered. There are many companies specializing in
ergonomie design and each have
their own ways of tackling work related situations and ways to move elements
of furniture so as fo
optimize ergonomie factors. A lot of those systems utilize very complicated
electro-mechanical or
hydraulic assisted systems to move components around, which makes the
furniture quite expensive to
purchase and difficult to maintain and service. Consequently, a low cost
lifting system for use with
furniture elements for improving ergonomies is needed.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
111 In one embodiment of the present invention a lifting system is
provided, comprising an electric
linear actuator; a casing member having an outer top surface, an inner top
surface, a pair of inner side
surfaces, and an open bottom; a pair of rails fastened to the pair of inner
side surfaces; a pedestal
structure having a pair of exterior sides, wherein an equal number of grooved
blocks are fastened to
each exterior side, wherein the grooved blocks are configured to engage and
travel the pair of rails such
that the pedestal structure is configured to travel telescopically inside the
casing member; and, a
furniture element positioned to the outer top surface of the casing member,
the furniture element
configured to raise and lower via the electric linear actuator.
121 In one embodiment, the furniture element is a table or desk. In one
embodiment, the pedestal
structure includes a framework assembly providing structural support to the
pedestal structure and the
lifting system. In another embodiment, the framework assembly includes a pair
of horizontal frame
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members positioned between the pair of exterior sides, and at least one
vertical rib positioned centrally
between the pair of horizontal frame members. In yet another embodiment, the
framework assembly
includes reinforcement blocks positioned in four interior corners where the
pair of exterior sides and
the pair of horizontal frame members join. In one embodiment, the electric
linear actuator comprises a
piston member, top devis member, and a bottom devis member, wherein the top
devis member is
connected to a top bracket section of the casing member and the bottom devis
member is connected to
an upper horizontal frame member of the pair of horizontal frame members.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
131 Other features and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent when the
following detailed description is read in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
141 FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the lifting system showing the casing
member and the pedestal
structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;
151 FIG. 2 is a front transparent view of the lifting system according to
an embodiment of the
present invention;
161 FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the lifting system according to an
embodiment of the present
invention;
171 FIGS. 4A-B are front and side views of the casing member respectively
according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
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181 FIGS. 4C-D are front and side view of the pedestal structure
respectively according to an
embodiment of the present invention; and,
191 FIGS. 5A-B are side views illustrating a raised and lower configuration
of the lifting system in
use according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
1101 The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the
art to make and use the
invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventor of
carrying out their invention.
Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled
in the art, since the
general principles of the present invention have been defined herein to
specifically provide a lifting
system for use with furniture elements for improving ergonomics.
1111 Referring now to any of the accompanying FIGS 1-5, a lifting system 10
for use with a furniture
element 12 for improving ergonomics is illustrated. In one embodiment, the
lifting system comprises an
electric linear actuator 14 enclosed in a pedestal structure 16. In one
embodiment, the pedestal structure
is positioned telescopically inside casing member 18 forming part of furniture
element 12.
1121 In one embodiment, the electric linear actuator comprises top devis
member 20, bottom devis
member 20', and piston member 22. The top devis and bottom devis member are
located on opposite
ends of the electric linear actuator. In one embodiment, the top devis member
is connected to a top
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bracket section 24 of casing member 18. In one embodiment, the bottom devis
member is connected to
framework 26 forming part of the interior of pedestal structure 16.
1131 The framework is configured to provide structural integrity to the
pedestal structure. This is
critical as the framework must support the weight of the system, including but
not limiting to the casing
member, furniture element, and any objects placed on the furniture element,
e.g. a computer system. In
one embodiment, the framework comprises horizontal frame members 28, at least
one rib 30, and
reinforcement blocks 32. Preferably, the at least one rib is two ribs
positioned centrally in between the
horizontal frame members. Preferably, the reinforcement blocks are positioned
in the four interior
corners of the frame member.
1141 In one embodiment, a pair of rails 34 are provided, wherein the pair of
rails are configured to
enable the pedestal structure to slide in and out of the casing member via
grooved blocks 38. In one
embodiment, the pair of rails are positioned on the interior side 44 of the
casing member and the
grooved blocks are positioned on the exterior sicles 40 of the pedestal
structure. In one embodiment,
four grooved blocks are provided, a pair on each exterior side of the pedestal
structure. In one
embodiment, a plurality of holes 42 positioned on the exterior sides 46 of the
casing member are
configured to receive mechanical fasteners, wherein the mechanical fasteners
are configured to attach
the casing member to the furniture element. In one embodiment, the fumiture
element is a desk.
1151 Best seen in FIGS. 5A-B, the lifting system in use is illustrated,
wherein FIG. 5A shows the
lifting system in a raised position, and FIG. 5B shows the lifting system in a
lower position. During use,
a user 36 may activate a switch (not illustrated) to activate the lifting
system such that the furniture
element may be raised or lowered via the linear actuator. In one embodiment,
more than one lifting
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system may be provided, depending on the size and weight requirements of the
system. For instance, a
pair of lifting systems may be provided, wherein each lifting system is
installed at each end of the
furniture element. In one embodiment, a control panel may be used to control
the pair of lifting systems
simultaneously.
1161 Although the invention has been described in considerable detail in
language specific to
structural features and or method acts, it is to be understood that the
invention defined in the appended
daims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described.
Rather, the specific features
and acts are disclosed as exemplary preferred forms of implementing the
claimed invention. Stated
otherwise, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology
employed herein, as well as the
abstract, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as
limiting. Therefore, while
exemplary illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described,
numerous variations and
alternative embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art. Such
variations and alternate
embodiments are contemplated, and can be made without departing from the
spirit and scope of the
invention.
1171 It should further be noted that throughout the entire disclosure, the
labels such as left, right,
front, back, top, bottom, forward, reverse, clockwise, counter clockwise, up,
down, or other similar
terms such as upper, lower, aft, fore, vertical, horizontal, oblique,
proximal, distal, parallel,
perpendicular, transverse, longitudinal, etc. have been used for convenience
purposes only and are not
intended to imply any particular fixed direction or orientation. Instead, they
are used to reflect relative
locations and/or directions/orientations between various portions of an
object.
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1181
In addition, reference to "first," "second," "third," and etc. members
throughout the disclosure
(and in particular, daims) are not used to show a serial or numerical
limitation but instead are used to
distinguish or identify the various members of the group.
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