STOWABLE WORKTOP SUSPENDED IN FRONT OF AN INTERIOR DOOR WITH OVER THE DOOR HOOKS AND ADJUSTABLE INELASTIC STRAPS FOR SITTING OR STANDING USE

Abstract

A stowable and transportable, height-adjustable over-the-door suspended desk comprises a worktop sized to fit within a standard doorway, four reinforced corners, and four inelastic straps that suspend the worktop from a pair of adjustable over-the-door hooks. The worktop has the ability to be folded in half along a hinge and supported below by multiple removable cross braces. Each strap has multiple loops spaced along its length, enabling the user to raise or lower the worktop for either seated or standing use while maintaining a stable, level surface. The corner reinforcements distribute load effectively, allowing typical home office accessories. The system disassembles easily for compact storage and requires no permanent modification to the door.

Claims

1. An over-the-door suspended desk system, comprising: a hinged worktop panel having four corners, each corner comprising a metal reinforced mounting point; a pair of over-the-door hooks configured to be adjustably secured over a top edge of a door, each over-the-door hook including an aperatured attachment point for receiving at least two straps; and four inelastic straps, each inelastic strap extending between one of said reinforced mounting points on the worktop and one of said attachment points on the over-the-door hooks, wherein each of the four inelastic straps comprises one or more loops spaced along a length of the strap, and a fastener configured to selectively connect any one of said loops to the respective reinforced mounting point, thereby allowing height adjustment of the worktop while maintaining the worktop in a substantially level orientation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said loops are positioned to enable a user to selectively configure the worktop at a sitting desk height or at a standing desk height.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the inelastic straps are made of a substantially non-stretch fiber (such as an aramid fiber).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the worktop is formed of a rigid material selected from the group consisting of fiberboard, hardwood, plywood, metal or the like.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the worktop is capable of being folded in half via a hinge mechanism.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the split worktop is supported from below by one or more removable rigid cross braces which are inserted in mounts on either side of the hinge.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the reinforced mounting points each include a metal plate secured to a corner region of the worktop, thereby distributing load from the strap across a broader surface of the worktop.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the fastener connecting each inelastic strap to the respective reinforced mounting point comprises an S-hook or carabiner.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the worktop has a width sized to fit within a typical interior doorway width.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the loops in the straps are spaced at intervals determined by a geometric calculation, e.g., the pythagorean theorem (worktop depth.sup.2+distance.sup.2 between rear worktop mounting points on worktop and over-the-door hooks=distance.sup.2 between over-the-door hooks and loops in straps), to ensure the worktop remains level as the user adjusts its vertical position.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein each corner of the worktop is individually adjustable in height by selecting a loop on the respective strap, thereby allowing fine-tuning of the horizontal leveling of the worktop.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the entire suspended desk system is capable of disassembly into the worktop, the four inelastic straps, and the pair of over-the-door hooks, enabling compact storage when not in use.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein an integrated protective strip along the rear edge of the worktop composed of a non-damaging material such as a rubber or foam prevents damage to the door from the worktop.

14. An over-the-door suspended desk system, comprising: A monolithic, non-folding worktop having four corners, each corner comprising a reinforced mounting point; a pair of over-the-door hooks configured to be adjustably secured over a top edge of a door, each over-the-door hook including an attachment point for receiving at least two straps; and our inelastic straps, each inelastic strap extending between one of said reinforced mounting points on the worktop and one of said attachment points on the over-the-door hooks, wherein each of the four inelastic straps comprises one or more loops spaced along a length of the strap, and a fastener configured to selectively connect any one of said loops to the respective reinforced mounting point, thereby allowing height adjustment of the worktop while maintaining the worktop in a substantially level orientation.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said loops are positioned to enable a user to selectively configure the worktop at a sitting desk height or at a standing desk height. The system of claim 14, wherein the inelastic straps are made of a low-stretch material such as an aramid fiber.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the worktop is formed of a rigid material selected from the group consisting of fiberboard, hardwood, plywood, metal or the like. The system of claim 14, wherein the reinforced mounting points each include a metal plate secured to a corner region of the worktop, thereby distributing load from the strap across a broader surface of the worktop.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the fastener connecting each inelastic strap to the respective reinforced mounting point comprises an S-hook or carabiner.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the worktop has a width sized to fit within a typical interior doorway width.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the loops in the straps are spaced at intervals determined by geometric calculations to ensure the worktop remains level as the user adjusts its vertical position.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the entire suspended desk system is capable of disassembly into the worktop, the four inelastic straps, and the pair of over-the-door hooks, enabling compact storage when not in use.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] FIG. 1 is a front left side perspective line drawing illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the stowable over-the-door worktop, suspended by four inelastic straps attached to two over-the-door hooks, with loops for height adjustment.

[0023] FIG. 2 is a top left perspective line drawing illustrating the topside of the worktop, including the top of the hinge assembly, anchoring points and hooks on each corner, and S-hooks or carabiners (pictured as S-hooks) attaching each anchoring point to the inelastic strap.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a bottom left perspective line drawing illustrating the underside of the worktop, including the bottom of the hinge assembly, anchoring points, removable rigid cross braces, and brackets for the cross braces.

[0025] FIG. 4 is a front left perspective line drawing illustrating the front of the over-the-door hook assembly, including the attachment point for the inelastic lines.

[0026] FIG. 5 is a rear left perspective line drawing illustrating the rear of the over-the-door hook assembly, including the screw design which allows the assembly to fit over multiple door depths.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] Referring now to the FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5: [0028] Door (100): An interior door onto which the system is mounted. [0029] Over-the-Door Hooks (110a, 110b): Two hooks configured to clamp onto the top edge of the door (100). Each hook is adjustable to accommodate different door thicknesses, typically via a threaded screw mechanism (111) to tighten a compression plate (114) into the rear side of the door (100). Each hook further includes an attachment point (112) (an eye-hook) at the front, room-facing portion for connecting two inelastic straps via hooks (113) (e.g., S-hooks): one going to the front corner of the desk and one going to the rear corner of the desk. [0030] Worktop (130): The primary horizontal surface (desk) upon which a user can place a laptop, monitor, papers, etc. The worktop is sufficiently narrow to fit within standard door frames (e.g., 36 inches or less in width). A variety of rigid materials may be used (e.g., wood, plywood, fiberboard, metal). [0031] Reinforced Mounting Points and Hooks (140a, 140b, 140c, 140d): Each of the four corners of the worktop (130) is outfitted with an integrated or attached metal plate, spreading out the load from the straps to ensure durability and stability. The fasteners are connected to these hooks. [0032] Inelastic Straps (120a, 120b, 120c, 120d): Four straps, each attached at its top end to the attachment point (112) on an over-the-door hook (110). At the lower end, each strap has a fastener (160a, 160b, 160c, 160d) (e.g., an S-hook or carabiner) that connects to the corresponding reinforced corner mounting point (140) of the worktop (130). [0033] Each strap includes loops (150) at intervals along its length. These loops are strategically placed, based on the Pythagorean theorem, so that the user can fine-tune the desk's position while keeping the worktop level. By selecting certain loops on the front straps and rear straps, a user can position the desk at a sitting height (for instance, around 28-30 inches above the floor) or a standing height (e.g., around 40-42 inches or more), depending on personal preference or ergonomic needs. [0034] Hinge (170) located in the middle of the worktop (elongated piano hinge). [0035] Removable, rigid cross braces (180a, 180b) spanning the central hinge on the underside of the worktop provide rigidity, with a length no more than half of the horizontal width of the desk. [0036] Brackets on Underside of Worktop (190a, 190b, 190c, 190d) to hold cross braces. [0037] Integrated protective strip made of non-damaging material (200) (e.g., rubber, foam) to prevent damage to the door from which the worktop is suspended by the worktop material.

Operation

[0038] 1. Mount the Over-the-Door Hooks (110): Place the hooks over the top edge of the door (100), tightening or adjusting them as needed to ensure a secure fit. [0039] 2. Close and Latch the Door (100): Securely latch the door into the door frame to ensure stability. [0040] 3. If applicable, Unfold the Worktop and Insert Rigid Cross Braces (180) into brackets (190) on underside of the worktop to ensure rigidity. [0041] 4. Attach the Straps (120) to the Hooks: Each over-the-door hook (110) includes an eye-hook (112). Two inelastic straps connect to each hook's eye-hook via hooks (113) attached to the inelastic lines: one running to the rear corner of the worktop (130) and one to the front corner. [0042] 5. Determine Sitting or Standing Height: [0043] Sitting Configuration: The user can select lower loops (150) on both front and rear straps to create a typical seated desk height of around 28 to 30 inches. [0044] Standing Configuration: By choosing higher loops (150), the worktop can be raised to approximately 40 to 42 inches or any preferred standing height. [0045] The straps' inelastic nature prevents sagging, ensuring that once a loop is chosen and hooked, the corner of the desk remains at that set height. [0046] As the loops are designed to create a level workspace, the user must select loops of equal height. [0047] 6. Secure Worktop (130): Each corner of the worktop is attached to the chosen loop via a fastener (160), such as an S-hook or carabiner. Because the corner is reinforced (140), the load is distributed, preventing breakage. [0048] 7. Use and Storage: With the desk in place, the user may open or close the door (100) within a limited range of motion (though minor movement of the desk is expected). The protective strip (200) on the rear edge of the worktop prevents wear and tear on the door. When finished, the user can simply unhook the corners, remove the straps from the over-the-door hooks, and then lift off the hooks entirely. All components can be stacked or stored in a small space. The worktop can be folded by removing the two cross braces (180) to minimize space when storing or transporting the system.

Materials & Variations

[0049] Straps: Typically 1 inch wide, made from a durable, low-stretch material such an aramid fiber. [0050] Reinforced Corners: May be steel or aluminum plates riveted or otherwise integrated. [0051] Worktop Materials: Can be wood, plastic composite, metal, or any rigid board. [0052] Protective Strip: May be made of any soft, non-damaging material (e.g., rubber, foam). [0053] Door Hook Variation: May include integrated tensioning or clamping mechanisms to fit doors of varying thickness. Additionally, may include non-adjustable door hooks specified for a certain door thickness.

[0054] This design ensures that the user can quickly transition between sitting and standing configurations without making permanent modifications to the door or the living space.