EP0474935B1

EP0474935B1 - Worktable

Info

Publication number: EP0474935B1
Application number: EP90310094A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wen-Ho Cheng
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1990-09-14
Filing date: 1990-09-14
Publication date: 1994-11-30
Anticipated expiration: 2010-09-14
Also published as: DE69014629D1; EP0474935A1; DE69014629T2

Description

The present invention relates to a workbench or worktable, and in particular relates to a worktable which is foldable for easy and convenient storage when not in use and portability. Most worktables are formed with fixed dimensions, and workpieces or articles to be worked on are tightly fastened to the tabletop by clamping means thereon to facilitate the working operations to be performed on it. Worktables with fixed dimensions occupy a very large storage space and are not convenient in either carriage or storage, and consequently, do not meet the requirements of portability nor can they be easily moved to a storage room when they are not in use.
In AU-B-532153 there is described a worktable of the type defined in the pre-characterising portion of Claim 1 comprising two pairs of legs, and a table top supported by the legs and having a pair or receiving frames, the legs of each said pair being pivotally connected at their upper ends to the receiving frames, and a pair of clamping members disposed on the receiving frames. The distance between the clamping members is adjustable by a threaded rod to enable articles to be firmly clamped therebetween. A pair of support arms have upper ends pivotally connected to forward end portions of the respective receiving frames and lower ends pivotally connected to the forward most legs of the pairs of legs. The support arms comprise two pivotally connected link members, and a third link member coupled to the rear legs for holding the support arms, when the legs are spread apart, for said support arms to support said tabletop to maintain it in a level condition. Additional linkages are connected between the legs of each pair to secure the legs against unintentionally collapsing together.
This worktable may be folded to reduce its volume for storage by disengaging the additional linkages and pivoting the legs together. However, this folding worktable involves many complicated parts which make it difficult to manufacture and assemble, expensive in production, and inconvenient in use. Furthermore, the clamping members are fixed in level positions, with the result that they are suited to clamping only limited forms of articles between their confronting edges.
The present invention aims to provide a worktable which can overcome and eliminate the above drawbacks and according to the invention there is provided a worktable comprising two pairs of legs, a table top supported by the legs, the legs of each said pair being pivotally interconnected by a joint means at their upper ends, and said tabletop including a pair of receiving frames, pivotally connected to said joint means and having a pair of clamping members disposed thereon, the distance between said members being adjustable by a threaded rod to enable articles to be firmly clamped therebetween, and a pair of support arms having upper ends pivotally connected to forward end portions of the respective receiving frames, characterised in that the lower ends of the support arms comprise locking means for releasable engagement with locating pins provided on the forward most legs of the pairs of legs for said support arms to support said tabletop to maintain it in a level condition, said locking means including slidable fixing means movable between open and closed positions for releasing and locking the support arm, respectively, with respect to said locating pin, disengagement of the support arms from said locating pins permitting said legs to pivot toward each other and said tabletop to be pivoted upwardly and thereby the worktable to be folded is substantially flat, and that the clamping members are supported on each receiving frame by a pair of clamping member support fixtures, each said fixture including a lower part connected to said receiving frame, and an upper part pivotally connected to said lower part for movement between two positions substantially at 90° to each other, whereby the clamping members are adjustable between respective positions in which said members are substantially level, and in which said members are substantially upright.
The worktable described herein further comprises a plurality of auxiliary clamps disengageably mounted on top boards of the worktable in order to clamp articles. Other features and advantages of the invention may become apparent from the following detailed description given with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:-

Fig.1 is a perspective of a worktable in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention and showing the legs in an extended position, with one of the top boards having been omitted to more clearly illustrate the way the fixtures can be disposed upright for clamping an article;
Fig. 2 is a side view showing the worktable of the invention in a folded position;
Figure 3 is a fragmental side view showing the alternative flat and upright positions of the fixtures and top boards;
Figure 4 is a three-dimensional perspective showing a support arm in detail; and
Figure 5 shows the manner in which the retaining pin in the fixtures is operated.

Illustrated in Fig. 1 is a worktable 100 having two pairs of legs 10, a tabletop 20, and one pair of support arms 30. A joint means or bracket 11 is attached to the legs of each pair of legs 10 to pivotally join the same at their top ends while it also pivotally mounts a support or receiving frame 21 of the tabletop 20. As viewed in Fig. 1, the righthand leg is fixed to the bracket 11 and the lefthand leg is pivoted to the bracket. Two tool racks 12 act as cross struts an extend transversely between the corresponding legs of the two pairs of legs 10, the racks being provided with openings with different sizes and configuration for receiving tools (not shown) so that they can be accessed easily whenever they are needed.
The tabletop 20 includes two receiving frames 21 respectively pivoted on the brackets at the tops of the legs fixed thereto. On each of the receiving frames 21, a pair of fixtures in the form of two-part hinge mounts are provided for attaching top boards 27 thereon. One of the hinge mount fixtures is fixedly connected to the receiving frame whereas the other fixture is longitudinally movable and is connected to a nut engaged with a threaded rod. The threaded rod (Fig. 3) is installed inside the receiving frame 21, and crank rocker handles are fastened to the rods and provided outside the working end of each receiving frame 21, so that they can be used to adjust the distance between the two fixtures and hence the top boards 27, for tightly clamping and releasing an article between the top boards. Since the above-mentioned adjustment structure is similar to that of a conventional worktable, it is not described in any detail herein.
Referring to Fig. 1, the worktable 100 of the present invention further comprises a plurality of auxiliary chucks or clamps disengagebly mounted on the top boards 27 of the worktable 100. With the auxiliary clamps 40 mounted thereon, the worktable 100 may clamp articles of various sizes and shapes. The top boards 27 are provided with a plurality of engaging holes to receive the auxiliary clamps 40 therein, in a manner known per se.
The worktable 100 of the present invention is characterised by including the two support arms 30 and by being provided with two adjustable, hinged fixtures. Each of the support arms 30 is pivotally connected by its upper end to the underside of the front end of a respective receiving frame 21, while its lower end is provided with a pair of detent notches 31 and a slidable fixing means in the form of a latch plate 32. The dents 31 are arranged to receive a locating pin 14 provided on the forwardly extending leg 10 while the fixing latch 32 serves to lock the locating pin 14 in the notches 31, the latch being movable between two different, i.e. locking and release positions which the notches 31 are closed and opened respectively, whereby by this way, the support arms 30 are firmly but detachably connectable to the two forwardly extending legs 10 for retaining the tabletop 20 in a horizontal position. The latch plates are preferably spring-loaded and biased into their closed position.
When the fixing latches 32 is moved to the release position, the notches 31 are opened and the support arms may detach from the locating pins 14, and, consequently, the legs 10, to allow the legs 10 are well as the table top 20 to be folded in a vertical direction due to their pivotal connection with the brackets 11.
Each of the top board mounting fixtures comprises an upper part 23 and a lower part 22, the upper part 23 is pivotally connected to the lower part 22 while the latter is disposed on the receiving frame 21. The upper part 23 is provided with a retaining pin 24 which transversely passes through an arcuate guiding slot 25 formed in the lower part and having enlarged holes at its ends. The retaining pin 24 has a spring 26 supported thereon for biasing the pin longitudinally, and the pin has larger diameter end portions which engageable in the enlarged holes at the ends of the guiding slots 25, for securing the upper part in either of two pivotal positions so that the top board 27 fixed on top of the upper part 23 may be positioned in either a level i.e. horizontal position or an upright position to facilitate the clamping of articles of different sizes and/or shapes by the lower part 22. The alternative positions for the top boards are shown in Fig. 3. When the worktable 100 is to be folded, the bottom ends of the support arms 30 are released from the locating pins 14, and the legs as described above.
Then the tabletop 20 is pivoted upwardly and the legs of each of legs 10 are folded toward each other, which can be performed while two pairs of legs 10 are in contact with the ground. The worktable is shown in its folded condition in Fig. 2, from which it can be seen the space occupied by the folded worktable 100 is minimal whereby handling and storage are facilitated.

Claims

A worktable (100) comprising two pairs of legs (10), a table top (20) supported by the legs, the legs of each said pair being pivotally interconnected by a joint means (11) at their upper ends, and said tabletop including a pair of receiving frames (21), pivotally connected to said joint means and having a pair of clamping members (27) disposed thereon, the distance between said members being adjustable by a threaded rod to enable articles to be firmly clamped therebetween, and a pair of support arms (30) having upper ends pivotally connected to forward end portions of the respective receiving frames, characterised in that the lower ends of the support arms comprise locking means (31) for releasable engagement with locating pins (14) provided on the forward most legs of the pairs of legs (10) for said support arms to support said tabletop to maintain it in a level condition, said locking means including slidable fixing means (32) movable between open and closed positions for releasing and locking the support arm, respectively, with respect to said locating pin, disengagement of the support arms from said locating pins (14) permitting said legs to pivot toward each other and said table top to be pivoted upwardly and thereby the worktable to be folded is substantially flat, and that the clamping members (27) are supported on each receiving frame by a pair of clamping member support fixtures, each said fixture including a lower part (22) connected to said receiving frame, and an upper part (23) pivotally connected to said lower part for movement between two positions substantially at 90° to each other, whereby the clamping members are adjustable between respective positions in which said members are substantially level, and in which said members are substantially upright.
A worktable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lower ends of the support arms have notches (31) for receiving the locating pins (14), and the fixing means comprise longitudinally slidable latch elements (32) arranged to retain the pins in the notches in lower closed positions thereof.
A worktable according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper and lower parts (22, 23) of each fixture are interconnected by a retaining pin (24) fastened to one part and engaged in a guide slot (25) formed in the other part.
A worktable according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein releasable means (26, 25) is provided for retaining the upper part of each fixture in each of said two positions.