Horizontally supported planar surfaces – Plural related horizontal surfaces – Horizontally adjustable
Patent
1994-11-17
1996-12-31
Brown, Peter R.
Horizontally supported planar surfaces
Plural related horizontal surfaces
Horizontally adjustable
108143, A47B 1100
Patent
active
055883753
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a mounting track and in particular to a workstation incorporating that mounting track.
The invention has been developed primarily for use with adjustable computer platforms and desks and will be described hereinafter with reference to that application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to that particular field of use and is also suitable for shelving, draws and other structures including slidably mounted components.
BACKGROUND ART
Ergonomic studies relating to keyboard and terminal positioning have lead to the development of a great number of adjustable workstations and desks. Although such stations tend to provide a reasonable degree of relative vertical movement between surfaces respectively supporting a keyboard and a monitor or VDU, there has generally been a deficiency in the availability of relative horizontal movement between these two surfaces.
In order to compensate for this deficiency new workstations are being produced, and old workstations retrofitted with mechanisms which allow such relative horizontal movement.
The prior art workstations generally include a height adjustment mechanism extending between the two work surfaces. In order to allow relative horizontal movement between these surfaces the adjustment mechanism must be disconnected from one of the surfaces to allow the interpositioning of an adaptor therebetween.
Such adaptors include a metal plate for fixed abutment with the bottom of one of the surfaces. Integrally projecting from the plate are a pair of opposed formations spaced apart for slidably engaging an existing complementary formation on the height adjustment mechanism. Consequently, the adaptor must be custom made for each particular application. Furthermore, the formations on both the plate and adjustment mechanism are prone to wear and distortion. More particularly, the formations on the adjustment mechanism are not designed for such mounting which can lead to failure of the formations.
Those workstations produced with horizontal adjustment means necessitate strict quality control during manufacturing due to the tolerances required to ensure that jamming does not occur. However, only small amounts of use causes wear which is sufficient to render such a workstation unsatisfactory.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention, at least in its preferred embodiment, to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least some of these deficiencies of the prior art.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a mounting track for connecting a first and a second structure for relative longitudinal movement, the track including a longitudinally extending body for abutting the first structure and first and second transverse arms extending from the body and having respective opposed substantially parallel first and second engagement surfaces which, in combination with the body, define an open ended channel for retaining a complementary support formation extending from the second structure, wherein the support formation bears on one of said first and second engagement surfaces, wherein the support formation bears on one of said first and second engagement surfaces, the free end of the first arm both extending beyond the free end of the second arm and including a peripherally depending lip for partly closing the channel and restraining transverse movement of the support formation.
Preferably, at least one of the first and second engagement surfaces includes a plurality of engagement formations for facilitating slidable progression of the support formation along the engagement surface. More preferably, the engagement formations extend longitudinally along the length of the engagement surface and take the form of a plurality of semi circular detents. Alternatively, the engagement formations are longitudinally extending ridges transversely spaced apart across the engagement surfaces.
Preferably also, the lip extends substantially perpendicularly to the plan
REFERENCES:
patent: 2161323 (1939-06-01), Stephenson
patent: 2251198 (1941-07-01), Oneal
patent: 2656234 (1953-10-01), Koch
patent: 2919966 (1960-01-01), Preston
patent: 2937765 (1960-05-01), Shank
patent: 4189953 (1980-02-01), Volk
patent: 4644875 (1987-02-01), Watt
patent: 4688862 (1987-08-01), Fowler et al.
Anderson Gerald A.
Brown Peter R.
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