Article of furniture with legs adjustable in the height and in angular position; and method for adjusting an article of furniture

Abstract

 The present invention comprises an article of furniture provided with a number of legs and an upper part which is height-adjustable in relation to the legs, wherein each leg is provided with engaging means to allow these legs to engage on the upper part at both the desired height and in the desired angular position.

Description

[0001] Applicant markets a range of office furniture under the name NEXT, with height-adjustable worktops for desks and the like.

[0002] In an increasing number of office environments there is a need for flexibility in respect of workplaces, for instance because different people work at particular locations, in particular for specified conference rooms, for instance for meetings, which it must be possible to set up in different ways.

[0003] The present invention provides an article of furniture which is provided with a number of legs and an upper part which is height-adjustable in relation to the legs, wherein each leg is provided with engaging means to allow these legs to engage on the upper part at both the desired height and in the desired angular position. Owing to the adjustment of the upper part, for instance a tabletop, the height thereof can be adjusted in ergonomically responsible manner. The legs can further be rotated in respect of angular position, so that a table or other article of furniture can be used at practically any workplace, even if the legs protrude slightly outside the area of the tabletop.

[0004] Preferably arranged against the underside of the tabletop are a number of frame parts along which the leg parts can be adjusted in the height. The legs can thus be easily adjusted by sliding thereof along these frame parts.

[0005] In a further preferred embodiment the engaging means comprise a lower ring, an upper ring and a sleeve on a leg part. The lower ring and upper ring can be screwed fixedly into threaded holes in the frame parts using (socket) screw bolts.

[0006] Further advantages, features and details of the present invention will be elucidated on the basis of the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a view in perspective of a preferred embodiment of an article of furniture according to the present invention;

Fig. 2A respectively 2B show exploded views of detail II in fig. 1 in two respective different positions; and

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section along the line III in fig. 1.

[0007] A table 1 (fig. 1) comprises a worktop 2 and legs 3, 4, 5 arranged thereunder which are each provided in the present embodiment preferably with swivel castors 6, 7 and 8.

[0008] Frame tubes 10, 11 and 12 which are profiled, in particular provided with grooves, are mounted on a further frame part 9 arranged against the underside of worktop 2. Frame tubes 10, 11 and 12 are preferably of extruded aluminium which is tougher than cast aluminium and can therefore better withstand screw bolt forces.

[0009] As can be seen particularly in figures 2A, 2B and 3, each of the leg parts 3, 4, 5 is provided on the outer end with a sleeve 13 which can be arranged in desired angular position and at desired height using two rings 14 and 15. The upper ring 14 can be fastened to tube part 10 at discrete heights corresponding with threaded holes 15 using one or more socket screw bolts. After sleeve 13 has been displaced upward (fig. 2A), lower ring 15 is also displaced upward and, using a socket screw bolt 18, fastened to a profile part 10. The sleeve with the leg welded thereto is thus fixed both in angular position and in height using a single adjustment operation.

[0010] As shown particularly in fig. 2B and 3, ring 15 can be provided on the inside with protrusions 19 which fit into complementary recesses 20 on tube 10. A ring 15 is moreover provided on the outside with one or more recesses 21 so that a protrusion 22 complementary to the form thereof on sleeve 13 can be displaced therein and fastened using socket screw bolt 18. Socket screw bolt 18 is provided with a pointed front end which engages in a cavity 16 on one of the tubes 10, 11 or 12. The lower ring 15 together with sleeve 13 and leg 3 fixed thereon can thus be moved downward, rotated and then moved upward again in rotated position, whereby the angular position of this leg can be adjusted in relation to the tabletop in relatively simple manner, and thus does not have to protrude in undesirable manner relative to the area covered by the tabletop.

[0011] In a further embodiment (not shown) the tubes 10-13 are provided, for the purpose of simplifying manufacture thereof, with a smooth inner surface, i.e. without protrusions 19.

[0012] The present invention is not limited to the above described preferred embodiment thereof; the rights sought are defined by the following claims, within the scope of which many modifications can be envisaged.

Claims

1. Article of furniture provided with a number of legs and an upper part which is height-adjustable in relation to the legs, wherein each leg is provided with engaging means to allow these legs to engage on the upper part at both the desired height and in the desired angular position.

2. Article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper part comprises a tabletop, relative to which frame parts, the number of which corresponds with the number of legs, extend downward, along which frame parts the engaging means on the legs are adjustable.

3. Article of furniture as claimed in claim 2, wherein the frame parts are profiled, in particular are provided with grooves.

4. Article of furniture as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the engaging means comprise a lower ring, an upper ring and a sleeve placeable therebetween on a leg.

5. Article of furniture as claimed in any of the claims 2, 3 or 4, wherein the frame parts are provided with threaded holes arranged one above another for fixing the engaging means at the desired height.

6. Article of furniture as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, wherein a leg is releasable relative to the upper part by moving the engaging means in downward direction.

7. Article of furniture as claimed in one or more of the claims 1-6, wherein the legs comprise a curved part.

8. Article of furniture as claimed in one or more of the claims 2-7, wherein the legs are releasable for displacement along the frame parts.

9. Article of furniture as claimed in one or more of the claims 1-8, wherein the legs have a vertically projected length shorter than the distance between the underside of the upper part and the ground.

10. Method for adjusting an article of furniture in height and/or angular position, preferably as claimed in one or more of the claims 1-9, wherein one or more legs are displaced downward relative to frame parts arranged on an upper part of the article of furniture and are fixed relative to these frame parts using fixing means, wherein in order to displace a leg in angular position this leg is displaced from the frame part into released position and in a rotated position then displaced once again in the direction toward the upper part.

Drawing