Height Adjustable Workstation

Abstract

There is provided a height adjustable workstation, comprising a base ( 1 ), lower ( 3 ) and upper ( 5 ) desks, and a lifting mechanism ( 2 ) for raising and lowering the lower and upper desks relative to the base, the lower desk ( 3 ) for supporting a keyboard and the upper desk ( 5 ) for supporting a computer monitor. The upper desk ( 5 ) provides a substantially planar upper desk surface that comprises a fixed desk surface ( 7 ) of a fixed desk portion ( 6 ) and a movable desk surface ( 9 ) of a movable desk portion ( 8 ), when the moveable desk portion ( 8 ) is in a first position. In a second position the movable desk surface ( 9 ) is upwardly slanted relative to the fixed desk surface ( 7 ), to aid reading of any documents placed on the movable desk surface ( 9 ). A skirt ( 10, 12 ) fills a gap between the fixed desk surface ( 7 ) and the movable desk surface ( 9 ) when the movable desk portion is in the second position, to prevent trapping of human fingers.

1 . A height adjustable workstation, comprising a base, a lower desk, an upper desk, and a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the lower and upper desks relative to the base, the lower desk for supporting a keyboard and the upper desk for supporting a computer monitor, wherein:
 the upper desk comprises a movable desk portion and a fixed desk portion, the movable desk portion being pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion,   the upper desk provides a substantially planar upper desk surface that comprises a fixed desk surface of the fixed desk portion and a movable desk surface of the movable desk portion, when the moveable desk portion is in a first position,   the movable desk portion is movable from the first position to a second position by pivoting a rear edge of the movable desk surface upwardly relative to the fixed desk surface, thereby upwardly slanting the movable desk surface relative to the fixed desk surface to aid reading of any documents placed on the movable desk surface;   wherein a gap between the fixed desk surface and a side edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the second position, is filled by a skirt of the height adjustable workstation, to prevent human fingers from entering the gap.   
     
     
         2 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 1 , wherein the skirt comprises a plurality of portions that are movable relative to one another to increase and decrease a width of the skirt, the width of the skirt being progressively increased as the rear edge of the movable desk surface is pivoted upwardly relative to the fixed desk surface to move from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         3 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 2 , wherein the skirt comprises a first portion that is fixedly connected to the movable desk portion, a second portion that is movably connected to the first portion, and a cradle and protrusion, the first portion comprising the cradle and the second portion comprising the protrusion, or the first portion comprising the protrusion and the second portion comprising the cradle, wherein the protrusion moves into the cradle to lift the second portion as the movable desk portion is moved upwardly from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         4 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 3 , wherein the cradle is formed by an end of an arched slot in the first portion in the case where the first portion comprises the cradle, or wherein the cradle is formed by an end of an arched slot in the second portion in the case where the second portion comprises the cradle. 
     
     
         5 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 4 , wherein the height adjustable workstation further comprises a trough that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion beneath the side edge of the movable desk surface, the trough having opposing first and second sides, and wherein the skirt is retracted into the trough when the movable desk portion is moved into the first position. 
     
     
         6 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 5 , further comprising a height setting member that is pivotally connected to the movable desk portion, and a plurality of height setting cradles connected to the fixed desk portion for receiving an end of the height setting member or receiving a protrusion of the height setting member, wherein the end or protrusion of the height setting member is selectively received in one of the height setting cradles when the movable desk portion is in the second position, to set an extent to which the rear edge of the movable desk surface is pivoted upwardly relative to the fixed desk surface in the second position. 
     
     
         7 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 6 , wherein the height setting cradles are formed within the first side of the trough, and aligned in a row along a length of the trough. 
     
     
         8 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 6 , further comprising a member fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion, extending to directly beneath a central region of the movable desk portion, and having the height setting cradles formed in a row along the extension of the member. 
     
     
         9 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 8 , wherein the movable desk portion is pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion by a pivot that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion at a position adjacent a front edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first and second positions. 
     
     
         10 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 8 , wherein the movable desk portion is pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion by a pivot that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion at a position adjacent a front edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first and second positions, the pivot being attached to the trough at a position adjacent the front edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first and second positions. 
     
     
         11 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 9 , wherein the movable desk portion comprises a slide rail beneath the movable desk surface, the slide rail extending substantially parallel to the side edge of the movable desk surface, wherein the pivot is attached to a slider that is slidably connected to the slide rail, the slider being slidable from adjacent the front edge of the movable desk surface towards the rear edge of the movable desk surface to move the movable desk portion forwardly into a third position. 
     
     
         12 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 11 , further comprising a mounting bracket attached to the movable desk portion, the mounting bracket comprising a spigot that is slidable along a slot extending along the first or second sides of the trough, the spigot being slid along the slot as the movable desk portion is moved forwardly into the third position. 
     
     
         13 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 12 , wherein the pivotal connection of the height setting member to the movable desk portion comprises the mounting bracket. 
     
     
         14 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 13 , further comprising a handle that is attached to the height setting member and which extends substantially parallel to the rear edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first position. 
     
     
         15 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 11 , wherein the first portion of the skirt comprises a spigot that is slidable along a slot extending along the first or second sides of the trough, the spigot being slid along the slot as the movable desk portion is moved forwardly into the third position. 
     
     
         16 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 12 , wherein a front end of the slot extending along the first or second sides of the trough, extends upwardly in a direction towards the fixed desk surface, to allow the spigot to move upwardly and the front edge of the movable desk surface to pivot downwardly until the movable desk portion contacts the lower desk when moving the movable desk portion from the third position to a fourth position. 
     
     
         17 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 12 , wherein a rear end of the slot extending along the first or second sides of the trough, extends upwardly in a direction towards the fixed desk surface, to allow the spigot to move upwardly out of the slot when moving the movable desk portion from the first position to the second position. 
     
     
         18 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 2 , wherein the height adjustable workstation further comprises a trough that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion beneath the side edge of the movable desk surface, the trough having opposing first and second sides, and wherein the skirt is retracted into the trough when the movable desk portion is moved into the first position. 
     
     
         19 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 1 , further comprising a height setting member that is pivotally connected to the movable desk portion, and a plurality of height setting cradles connected to the fixed desk portion for receiving an end of the height setting member or receiving a protrusion of the height setting member, wherein the end or protrusion of the height setting member is selectively received in one of the height setting cradles when the movable desk portion is in the second position, to set an extent to which the rear edge of the movable desk surface is pivoted upwardly relative to the fixed desk surface in the second position. 
     
     
         20 . The height adjustable workstation of  claim 1 , wherein the movable desk portion is pivotally connected to the fixed desk portion by a pivot that is fixedly connected to the fixed desk portion at a position adjacent a front edge of the movable desk surface when the movable desk portion is in the first and second positions.