HEIGHT-ADJUSTABLE DESK

Abstract

A height-adjustable desk includes: a desktop; a lifting assembly having two height-adjustable legs coupled to the desktop, wherein the two height-adjustable legs are to support the desktop; a storage cabinet defining at least one through-hole configured to permit passage of one of the two height-adjustable legs therethrough; and a rotational connection assembly including: a base securely within the at least one through-hole of the storage cabinet; and a rotating member rotatably coupled to the base, the rotating member defining a through-hole configured to permit passage of one of the two height-adjustable legs therethrough. The storage cabinet is rotatably connected to the one of the two height-adjustable legs via the rotational connection assembly.

Claims

1. A height-adjustable desk, comprising: a desktop; a lifting assembly comprising two height-adjustable legs coupled to the desktop, wherein the two height-adjustable legs are configured to support the desktop; a storage cabinet defining at least one through-hole configured to permit passage of one of the two height-adjustable legs therethrough; and a rotational connection assembly comprising: a base securely within the at least one through-hole of the storage cabinet; and a rotating member rotatably coupled to the base, the rotating member defining a through-hole configured to permit passage of one of the two height-adjustable legs therethrough; wherein the storage cabinet is rotatably connected to the one of the two height-adjustable legs via the rotational connection assembly.

2. The height-adjustable desk of claim 1, further comprising a crossbeam, wherein the crossbeam comprises two opposite ends that are respectively connected to the two height-adjustable legs, and the crossbeam is disposed below the desktop.

3. The height-adjustable desk of claim 1, further comprising two support beams, wherein the two support beams are coupled to a bottom surface of the desktop and respectively connected to the two height-adjustable legs.

4. The height-adjustable desk of claim 1, wherein the base comprises: a main body; and a blocking portion formed at one end of the main body; a positioning protrusion protrudes from a circumferential side surface of the main body; and a positioning groove is defined in a circumferential inner side surface of the at least one through-hole of the storage cabinet; wherein the main body is accommodated in the at least one through-hole of the storage cabinet, and the positioning protrusion is within the positioning groove so as to prevent the main body from rotating in the at least one through-hole of the storage cabinet.

5. The height-adjustable desk of claim 4, further comprising a fixing ring fixed to an opposite end of the main body relative to the blocking portion; wherein the at least one through-hole of the storage cabinet is a stepped hole formed by a large hole and a small hole that communicate with each other, the main body of the base is accommodated in the small hole, and the fixing ring is accommodated in the large hole and fixed to the end of the main body.

6. The height-adjustable desk of claim 5, wherein the main body defines an accommodating hole for accommodating the rotating member; wherein an inner edge of the blocking portion protrude inward from a circumferential inner side surface of the accommodating hole, and the rotating member is retained in the accommodating hole by being restricted between the blocking portion and the fixing ring.

7. The height-adjustable desk of claim 1, wherein the storage cabinet comprises a plurality of casters; wherein the storage cabinet is movably supported on a surface on which the height-adjustable desk is located by means of the plurality of casters.

8. The height-adjustable desk of claim 1, wherein the storage cabinet comprises a top plate and a bottom plate, the at least one through-hole is two in number, and the two through-holes are respectively defined in the top plate and the bottom plate.

9. The height-adjustable desk of claim 8, further comprising a support foot coupled to the one of the two height-adjustable legs, and a rotary coupling assembly that rotatably connects the bottom plate to the support foot.

10. The height-adjustable desk of claim 9, wherein the rotary coupling assembly comprises a partition plate, a first rotating member, and a second rotating member; wehrein the partition plate is fixed to the bottom plate, the first rotating member is fixed to a side of the partition plate opposite the bottom plate, the second rotating member is fixed to the support leg, and the first rotating member and the second rotating member comprise contact surfaces that abut each other and are capable of relative rotation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0005] Many aspects of the present embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, all the views are schematic, and like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic isometric view of a height-adjustable desk according to one embodiment.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a schematic isometric view of the height-adjustable viewed from a different perspective, with the storage cabinet rotated to a different position.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a schematic isometric view of the height-adjustable desk, with some components omitted.

[0009] FIG. 4 is an isometric exploded view of the height-adjustable desk, with some components omitted.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the height-adjustable desk.

[0011] FIG. 6 is a schematic isometric view of the e height-adjustable desk, showing a portion of the bottom of the desk.

[0012] FIG. 7 is an isometric exploded view of the height-adjustable desk viewed from a different perspective.

[0013] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the height-adjustable desk.

[0014] FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a portion A of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0015] The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to an or one embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references can mean at least one embodiment.

[0016] Although the features and elements of the present disclosure are described as embodiments in particular combinations, each feature or element can be used alone or in other various combinations within the principles of the present disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

[0017] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, in one embodiment, the height-adjustable desk 100 includes a desktop 10, a lifting assembly 20, and a storage cabinet 30. The lifting assembly 20 includes two height-adjustable legs 21 connected to the desktop 10. The two height-adjustable legs 21 provide support for the desktop 10. The storage cabinet 30 is provided with at least one through-hole (described in detail below) for allowing one of the two height-adjustable legs 21 to pass therethrough, such that the storage cabinet 30 is rotatably connected to one of the two height-adjustable legs 21.

[0018] With the above structure, the storage cabinet 30 provides additional storage space for the height-adjustable desk 100, thereby preventing the desk 100 from facing issues such as reduced lifting speed, jamming, or even damage, as well as potential instability of the desk body that may result from placing excessive items on the height-adjustable desk 100.

[0019] The desktop 10 may be made of wooden board material, composite board material, or metal plate material. In one embodiment, a medium-density fiberboard with a wear-resistant surface coating may be used to improve scratch resistance and stain resistance during long-term use. The desktop 10 may have a planar shape such as a rectangle, a rounded-corner rectangle, or an arc-shaped structure. The edges of the desktop 10 may be chamfered or rounded to improve safety.

[0020] The desktop 10 is provided with at least one cable-routing hole 11 for allowing power cables or data cables to pass through the desktop 10. The cable-routing hole 11 may be a circular hole, a slot-shaped hole, or an elliptical hole, and a rubber ring or cable grommet may be mounted at the rim of the hole. The desktop 10 may further be provided with a mounting hole for installing a power module. The mounting hole may have a rectangular or strip-shaped configuration for assembling a socket module or USB charging module. To enhance load-bearing capability, metal reinforcement members or local reinforcing blocks may be embedded inside the desktop 10, particularly in areas surrounding the cable-routing hole or the mounting hole for the power module, so as to prevent structural weakening due to the openings. The upper surface of the desktop 10 may be coated with a wear-resistant layer, a scratch-resistant layer, or a waterproof coating to improve surface durability.

[0021] The desktop 10 may be formed as a single integral panel or constructed by splicing multiple board members to accommodate desk structures of varied sizes or to facilitate transportation and assembly. Specifically, the desktop 10 may include at least two or more sub-panels, and the sub-panels are joined to one another through a splicing structure. The splicing structure may take any of the following forms or combinations thereof: a tenon-and-groove structure, a boss-engagement structure, metal connecting members (such as joining strips, connecting plates, or threaded connectors), concealed latch structures, or magnetic splicing structures.

[0022] In configurations where the desktop 10 is formed by two or more spliced boards, functional openings such as cable-routing holes and power-module mounting holes may be provided on a single sub-panel or arranged across a splicing interface. For example, the cable-routing hole may be formed entirely within one of the sub-panels, or located at the joint between sub-panels, with the splicing structure ensuring coaxial alignment and stability of the cross-board opening. In cases where an opening is arranged across the splicing boundary, a reinforcing frame or an integrated cable-routing sleeve may be provided at the rim of the opening to prevent stepped edges or structural weakness caused by the splice.

[0023] In one embodiment, the two height-adjustable legs 21 may have the same structure. Each height-adjustable leg 21 may be a multi-stage telescopic structure. For example, each height-adjustable leg 21 may adopt a two-stage sleeve-type telescopic configuration including an outer tube 22 and an inner tube 23 (see FIG. 4), which are coaxially sleeved from outside to inside and are slidable relative to each other. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the inner tube 23 is a fixed tube, and its lower end is rigidly connected to the foot of the height-adjustable desk 100 and/or to a fixed crossbeam. The outer tube 22 serves as the outermost movable tube, and its top end is connected to the desktop 10 either directly or via a connecting member. In another embodiment, opposite to the above configuration, the outer tube 22 is the fixed tube, the lower end of which is rigidly connected to the desk foot or the fixed crossbeam, while the inner tube 23 serves as the innermost movable tube, and its top end is connected to the desktop 10 either directly or via a connecting member. Regardless of which embodiment is adopted, a low-friction guiding mechanism may be provided between the movable tube and the fixed tube. For example, the low-friction guiding mechanism may include nylon sliders. Multiple nylon sliders are circumferentially arranged, embedded, and fixed at the lower end of the fixed tube. Nylon material offers advantages such as self-lubrication, low friction, high wear resistance, and vibration and noise reduction. In another example, the low-friction guiding mechanism may be a ball-guiding member, which includes a ball retainer and multiple balls accommodated therein. The ball retainer is fixed to one of the tube bodies, and the balls simultaneously contact the walls of the adjacent inner and outer tubes, converting sliding friction into rolling friction to achieve smoother and more effortless movement.

[0024] In one embodiment, the height-adjustable desk 100 may adopt a non-motorized driving mechanism for height adjustment, that is, the height is adjusted manually by the user. For example, one or more gas springs or pre-compressed coil springs with high stiffness may be disposed inside the height-adjustable legs 21. The cylinder end of the gas spring is connected to the fixed tube through a first hinge seat, and the piston-rod end is connected to the movable tube through a second hinge seat. The gas spring provides an upward force in its initial state to counterbalance most of the weight of the desktop and its load, thereby allowing the user to adjust the height with minimal effort.

[0025] Matched with the above spring-assisted system is a mechanical locking mechanism, which is integrated inside or at the end of the height-adjustable leg 21. The mechanism includes a user-operable release button (or lever) and a locking pin that is linked to the height-adjustable leg 21 (e.g., mechanically coupled to the locking core of the gas springs piston rod). In the natural state, the locking pin is biased by an internal spring into a locking position to prevent telescopic movement of the height-adjustable legs 21. When the user needs to adjust the height, pressing the release button transmits force through a linkage or cable to retract the locking pin from the locking position, thereby releasing the constraint on the height-adjustable leg. At this time, the user may easily push or pull the desktopusing the spring assistance for upward movement or overcoming the spring force for downward movement. Once the release button is released, the locking pin automatically returns under the spring force and re-engages at the current position to lock the height-adjustable leg 21.

[0026] It will be appreciated that the height-adjustable desk 100 may also adopt a motor-driven mechanism for height adjustment. For example, the motor-driven mechanism may include a motor and an integrated planetary gearbox, which are fixed to the inner or outer side of the upper end of the outer tube. The motor-driven mechanism further includes a reduction gearbox. Specifically, the output shaft of the gearbox is directly connected to the upper end of a vertically arranged planetary roller screw via a coupler. The lower end of the screw is supported at the bottom of the outer tube by a bearing seat. The nut of the screw assembly is fixed to the top of the inner tube (movable tube). During operation, when the motor starts, torque is increased through the gearbox, and the screw is directly driven to rotate. Since the nut is constrained in the circumferential direction (for example, by a guide key on the inner tube), the rotation of the screw is converted into linear motion of the nut, thereby driving the entire inner tube to extend upward and lifting the desktop. During lowering, the motor rotates in the reverse direction, and the inner tube is pushed back under the load of gravity.

[0027] In one embodiment, the height-adjustable desk 100 further includes a crossbeam 41, with opposite ends of the crossbeam 41 respectively connected to the two height-adjustable legs 21. The crossbeam 41 is located beneath the desktop 10. The crossbeam 41 extends along the lengthwise direction of the desktop 10, and its two ends are connected to the top ends of the two height-adjustable legs 21, specifically fixed to the top ends of the outer tubes 22. The crossbeam 41 rigidly connects the two height-adjustable legs 21 in the horizontal direction and serves mainly to increase the torsional rigidity, lateral stability, and overall load-bearing performance of the height-adjustable desk 100.

[0028] In one embodiment, the height-adjustable desk 100 further includes two support beams 42. The two support beams 42 are connected to the bottom surface 12 of the desktop 10 and are respectively connected to the two height-adjustable legs 21. Specifically, the two support beams 42 are fixed to the top ends of the outer tubes 22. The two support beams 42 extend along the width direction of the desktop 10. In one embodiment, the two support beams 42, the crossbeam 41, and the two height-adjustable legs 21 are mutually perpendicular to one another. With such a configuration, the desktop 10, the crossbeam 41, and the support beams 42 are able to move upward and downward in the vertical direction together with the outer tubes 22 relative to the inner tubes 23. In one embodiment, fasteners (e.g., screws) may be used to connect the crossbeam 41 to the outer tubes 22, the support beams 42 to the outer tubes 22, and the support beams 42 to the desktop 10.

[0029] In one embodiment, the storage cabinet 30 includes a top plate 31 and a bottom plate 32. The storage cabinet is provided with two through-holes through which one of the two height-adjustable legs 21 passes. The two through-holes include a through-hole 311 formed in the top plate 31 (see FIG. 4) and a through-hole 321 formed in the bottom plate 32 (see FIG. 3).

[0030] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in one embodiment, the height-adjustable desk 100 further includes a rotational connection assembly 51. The rotational connection assembly 51 includes a base 511 securely received in the through-hole 311 of the top plate 31, and a rotating member 512 rotatably connected to the base 511. The rotating member 512 is provided with a through-hole 513 through which one of the two height-adjust legs 21 passes. Specifically, the through-hole 513 is configured to allow the corresponding outer tube 22 to pass therethrough.

[0031] In one embodiment, the base 511 includes a main body 514 and a blocking portion 515 formed at one end of the main body 514. An outer edge 5151 of the blocking portion 515 protrudes radially outward from a circumferential side surface of the main body 514. The base 511 further defines a receiving hole 516 extending through the main body 514. An inner edge 5152 of the blocking portion 515 protrudes radially inward from a circumferential inner surface of the receiving hole 516. The main body 514 is received in the through-hole 311 of the top plate 31, and the blocking portion 515 abuts against a top surface of the top plate 31.

[0032] In one embodiment, one or more positioning protrusions 517 protrude from the circumferential side surface of the main body 514. One or more positioning grooves 312 are formed on a circumferential inner surface of the through-hole 311 of the storage cabinet 30. When the main body 514 is received in the through-hole 311 of the storage cabinet 30, the positioning protrusion(s) 517 are received in the positioning groove(s) 312, respectively, thereby preventing the main body 514 from rotating within the through-hole 311 of the storage cabinet 30.

[0033] In one embodiment, the rotating member 512 is in the form of a flat cylindrical structure and is rotatably received in the receiving hole 516 of the main body 514. In one embodiment, the outer tube 22 has a rectangular cross-section, and the through-hole 513 of the rotating member 512 is formed with a shape corresponding to the cross-section of the outer tube 22. The length and width of the through-hole 513 are slightly greater than the length and width of the cross section of the outer tube 22. With this arrangement, when the storage cabinet 30 rotates relative to the height-adjustable leg 21 connected thereto, the rotating member 512 remains stationary together with the corresponding outer tube 22, while the base 511 rotates with the storage cabinet 30 around the rotating member 512.

[0034] In one embodiment, the height-adjustable desk 100 further includes a fixing ring 518 disposed at an end of the main body 514 of the base 511 opposite to the blocking portion 515. The outer edge of the blocking portion 515 abuts against the top plate 31 of the storage cabinet 30. The through-hole 311 of the storage cabinet 30 is a stepped hole formed by a large hole 3111 and a small hole 3112 that are in communication with each other. The main body 514 of the base 511 is received in the small hole 3112, and the fixing ring 518 is received in the large hole 3111 and is fixed to the end of the body 514. The fixing ring 518 abuts against an annular surface 3113 between the large hole 3111 and the small hole 3112. With this arrangement, the base 511 is fixed to the top plate 31 and cannot move relative to the top plate 31. In addition, when the rotating member 512 is received in the receiving hole 516, it is constrained by both the inner edge 5152 of the blocking portion 515 and the fixing ring 518, such that the rotating member 512 can only rotate within the receiving hole 516 and cannot escape therefrom. In other words, the rotating member 512 is retained within the receiving hole 516 by the blocking portion 515 and the fixing ring 518.

[0035] In one embodiment, the storage cabinet 30 includes multiple casters 33. For example, four casters 33 are fixed to the bottom plate 32 of the storage cabinet 30, so that the storage cabinet 30 is movably supported on the surface on which the height-adjustable desk 100 is placed. In this way, when pushed by a user, the storage cabinet 30 can rotate around one of the height-adjustable legs 21 described above, allowing the storage cabinet 30 to move from a position fully located beneath the desktop 10 (see FIG. 1) to a position perpendicular to the length direction of the desktop 10 (see FIG. 2). It should be noted that the relative positional relationship between the storage cabinet 30 and the desktop 10 is not limited to the configurations illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The user may adjust the position of the storage cabinet 30 according to actual needs. However, regardless of the position of the storage cabinet 30, it will always remain engaged with the height-adjustable leg 21, facilitating access to items stored in the storage cabinet 30 and placement of items therein.

[0036] In addition, when the storage cabinet 30 is in the position shown in FIG. 2, most of the top surface of the top plate 31 becomes exposed instead of being hidden beneath the desktop 10, allowing items such as documents or computers to be placed on the top plate 31. From this perspective, the storage cabinet 30 may also function as an auxiliary desk. Therefore, in another embodiment, the storage cabinet 30 may be replaced by an auxiliary desk, allowing the height-adjustable desk 100 to include both a height-adjustable desktop and a fixed-height desktop.

[0037] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 9, in one embodiment, the height-adjustable desk 100 further includes two feet 24 connected to the two height-adjustable legs 21, respectively, and a rotary coupling assembly 52 configured to rotatably connect the bottom plate 32 of the storage cabinet 30 to the foot 24 that is connected to the height-adjustable leg 21 passing through the storage cabinet 30. In this embodiment, the two feet 24 extend generally in a direction parallel to the width direction of the desktop 10 and are respectively connected to the bottom ends of the inner tubes 23 of the height-adjustable legs 21. In this manner, the height-adjustable desk 100 can be stably supported on a supporting surface (e.g., the floor) by the two spaced-apart feet 24. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 32 of the storage cabinet 30 is connected to and supported by the foot 24. As shown in FIG. 3, because the storage cabinet 30 is supported by the foot 24, the storage cabinet 30 no longer needs four casters 33 fixed to the four corners of its bottom plate 32. For example, in this case, the storage cabinet 30 may have only two casters 33, which are disposed on the side of the storage cabinet 30 opposite to the side already supported by the foot 24.

[0038] In one embodiment, the rotary coupling assembly 52 includes a partition plate 521, a first rotating member 522, and a second rotating member 523. The partition plate 521 is fixed to the bottom plate 32 of the storage cabinet 30, the first rotating member 522 is fixed to a side of the partition plate 521 opposite to the bottom plate 32, and the second rotating member 523 is fixed to a top surface of the foot 24. In the view shown in FIG. 8, the partition plate 521, the first rotation member 522, and the second rotation member 523 are arranged sequentially from top to bottom. The first rotating member 522 and the second rotating member 523 include contact surfaces 5221 and 5231, respectively, which abut each other and are rotatable relative to each other.

[0039] In one embodiment, the partition plate 521, the first rotating member 522, and the second rotating member 523 are all square in shape and are respectively provided with through-holes for one of the height-adjustable legs 21 to pass through. The first rotating member 522 further includes a first annular protrusion 5222 surrounding its through-hole, and a second annular protrusion 5223 surrounding the first annular protrusion 5222. The second rotating member 523 further includes a first annular protrusion 5232 surrounding its through-hole, and a second annular protrusion 5233 surrounding the first annular protrusion 5232. The contact surface 5221 is formed by the bottom surfaces of the first annular protrusion 5222 and the second annular protrusion 5223, and the contact surface 5231 is formed by the top surfaces of the first annular protrusion 5232 and the second annular protrusion 5233. As shown in FIG. 9, the bottom surfaces of the first annular protrusion 5222 and the second annular protrusion 5223 respectively contact the top surfaces of the first annular protrusion 5232 and the second annular protrusion 5233. When the user pushes the storage cabinet 30, the two casters 33 of the storage cabinet 30 roll on the supporting surface, and the bottom surfaces of the first annular protrusion 5222 and the second annular protrusion 5223 rotate relative to the top surfaces of the first annular protrusion 5232 and the second annular protrusion 5233. By selecting appropriate materials or by providing suitable coatings on the contact surfaces 5221 and 5231, the contact surfaces 5221 and 5231 may provide a desired level of friction, which does not hinder the rotation of the first rotation member 522 relative to the second rotation member 523, while providing a certain damping effect between the two members. This allows the storage cabinet 30 to remain at a desired position relative to the desktop 10.

[0040] In another embodiment, a groove 5224 is formed between the first annular protrusion 5222 and the second annular protrusion 5223, and a groove 5234 is formed between the first annular protrusion 5232 and the second annular protrusion 5233. As shown in FIG. 9, the rotary coupling assembly 52 may include rolling elements, such as balls (not shown), disposed in the receiving space formed by the grooves 5224 and 5234. In the embodiment, the bottom surfaces of the first annular protrusion 5222 and the second annular protrusion 5223 face the top surfaces of the first annular protrusion 5232 and the second annular protrusion 5233, but the bottom surfaces and top surfaces do not contact each other. When the user pushes the storage cabinet 30, the two casters 33 of the storage cabinet 30 roll on the supporting surface, and the rolling elements roll between the first rotation member 522 and the second rotation member 523, thereby allowing the first rotation member 522 to rotate relative to the second rotation member 523.

[0041] The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative descriptions above are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.