GB2391167A

GB2391167A - Portable fold-up work surface and seat combination

Info

Publication number: GB2391167A
Application number: GB0217435A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Thomas Andrew Barker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-07-29
Filing date: 2002-07-29
Publication date: 2004-02-04
Also published as: AU2003281759A1; WO2004010824A1; GB0217435D0

Abstract

The combination comprises work surface 30, seat 15 and foldable X-frame which fold to a flat state when collapsed. The seat swings on pivot hinges 13 to lie against the legs and is locked open by stop bracket 16. The work surface is horizontally adjustable using rails 27,28 and angularly adjustable using telescopic strut 20,22 which is pivoted to the rails 28 and the legs 3. The rails are separated by and slide on a shaft (26 Fig 3) about which they pivot when the work surface is tilted. The work surface folds flat against its supports 24 which in turn swing down to lie flat against the legs. Extension pieces (35 Fig 7) may plug in to the sides of the work surface.

Description

J 2391 1 67

PORTABLE FOLD UP WORK SURFACE AND SEAT

COMBINATION

This invention relates to a fold up work surface and seat combination, which when collapsed is portable, while maintaining its rigidity when in use.

Such fold up work surface and seat combinations are well known, but suffer from the disadvantage that, when collapsed are too large and heavy to be sufficiently portable to carry by one hand or place in a car for transport purposes.

An object of this invention is to provide a portable lightweight fold up work surface and seat combination wherein the work surface can be any of the following: À An artists easel A sheet music stand An ironing board A desk top surface À A desk top surface suitable for a Laptop or Notebook style computer À A revolving work top À A work top with attached gripping device A craft or hobby work top An embroidery or tapestry frame A drawing board A black or white board À A reading table A school desk top A child's desk À A seat back (to form a chair when sat on in the opposite direction) A light box À A fishing rod attachment When collapsed it can be transported in a car or by one hand to any convenient location where chairs and desks are not readily available, such as building sites, construction sites, Industrial manufacturing premises or any outdoor location.

Accordingly, this invention provides a fold up work surface and seat combination comprising a seat, two support legs extending downwardly from the seat in an 'X' formation, attached to a work surface capable of horizontal and angular adjustment around a central sliding pivot and wherein is collapsible to a substantially flat state.

Preferably the fold up work surface and seat combination is made of lightweight metal, carbon fibre or plastics material, but it may instead be made from wood, or from a combination of these materials.

J ( A specific embodiment of the invention with a desk top work surface will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIGURE 1 shows a perspective view of the fold up desk and seat combination in its erect form.

FIGURE 2 shows a side elevation of the fold up desk and seat combination in its erect form.

FIGURE 3 shows an end elevation of the fold up desk and seat combination in its erect form.

FIGURE 4 shows an end elevation of the fold up desk and seat combination in its collapsed form.

FIGURE 5 shows a side elevation of the fold up desk and seat combination in its collapsed form.

FIGURE 6 is a section showing how the seat of the fold up desk and seat combination folds up.

FIGURE 7 shows a perspective view illustrating the desk top with detachable side extensions. As shown in Figure 1, the fold up desk and seat combination comprises front legs 5 and rear legs 3 pivoted at 11 in an 'X' formation. Front legs 5 form a rectangular frame with base tubular structure 4 forming a front foot and top angled section 12 being hingedly attached to seat 15 with twin pivot hinges 13.

Rear legs 3 form a rectangular frame with cross member 31 and base tubular structure 1 forming a rear foot. Both front foot tubular structure 4 and rear foot tubular structure 1 are curved at both ends as shown in Figure 3 to form a stable four point loading when in use. Each foot tubular structure extremity being fitted with a rubber end cap 2 to prevent sliding and damage to the foot tubular structure ends when in use.

Referring to Figure 2, the front and rear legs are held in the erect position 'X' formation by elongate members 7 and 9 pivotally hinged centrally at point 8 and pivoted from the front leg 5 on shaft 10 and rear leg 3 on shaft 6.

Seat 15 rests on cross member 17 in the erect position and is held in place by locking tab 32 and stop bracket 16, which is attached to the desk top surface 30 support members 24. The desk and seat combination can be lifted and moved about by holding the seat when in the erect position, it being locked in position by stop bracket 16.

( Desk top surface 30 has rails 27 and 28 attached by means of bolts 29 at both extremities of the rails. A gap between the rails 27 and 28 allows spindle 26 (shown in Figure 3) to slide between each extremity of the rails enabling the desk top surface to be positioned at a suitable distance from the seat for optimum use.

The desk top surface 30 being supported by elongate members 24 and tubular structures 20 and 22. Telescopic movement of the first tubular structure 20 relative to the corresponding second tubular structure 22 enables the desk top surface 30 to be positioned in the horizontal plane, wherever spindle 26 is positioned between rails 27 and 28. Elongate members 24 and spindle 26 are locked into their desired position by the quick release lever cams 25 at each end of spindle 26. Either quick release lever cam 25 can be released to allow movement of the desk surface.

Tubular structures 20 and 22 being locked in position by quick release lever cam 21. Tubular structure 22 being pivotally secured to the rails 28 at one extremity by shaft 23.

Elongate members 24 and tubular structure 20 being pivotally secured to the rear legs 3 by bracket 18 and shaft 19. In the erect position elongate members 24 being detachably attached to rear legs cross member 31 by a double ended spring loaded slam bolt. (Being readily available and not shown for clarity).

Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, releasing the double ended spring loaded slam bolt (not shown) allows the desk top surface to swing downwards, releasing the quick release lever cams 25 and 21 enable it to fold flat and take up a minimum of space. The resultant movement of stop bracket 16 away from seat 15 releases the seat to swing up and over on twin pivot hinges 13. Bringing front and rear leg cross members 31 and 12 together causes link members 7 and 9 to swing downwards around pivot 8 allowing both front and rear legs pivoted at 11 to be substantially parallel.

Spring clips 14 (shown in Figure 2) engage onto shaft 10 ensuring that the desk and seat combination is held together in the collapsed position for transport or storage. The action of pulling apart cross members 31 and 12 causes the spring clips 14 to release and allow the desk and seat combination to be moved into the erect position.

Referring to Figures 6a and 6b, the twin pivot hinges shown in detail are attached to the front legs 5 cross member 12 and the rear of seat 15. Figure 6a shows the seat 15 in the erect position. Figure 6b shows the seat 15 in the collapsed position after swinging through 360 degrees anticlockwise.

Figure 7 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention. Here the desk top surface 30 is extended on either or both sides by use of the detachable side extensions 35. Each side extension being attached to desk top surface 30 by means of the first tubular structure 34 telescopically inserted fully into second tubular structure 33. Tubular structure 34 being attached to side extension 35 and tubular structure 33 being attached to desk top surface 30 respectively.

Claims

1. A fold up work surface and seat combination comprising a seat, two support legs extending downwardly from the seat in an 'X' formation, attached to a work surface capable of horizontal and angular adjustment around a central sliding pivot and wherein is collapsible to a substantially flat state.

2. A fold up work surface and seat combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein elongate pivotally hinged members extend between the two support legs, each extremity of the elongate pivotally hinged member being pivotally attached to each of the support legs respectively.

3. A fold up work surface and seat combination as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the front support legs are positioned forward of the seat front so to prevent the combination from toppling forward when the work surface is loaded with an object such as a Laptop or Notebook style computer.

4. A fold up work surface and seat combination as claimed in claim 3, wherein the work surface is adjustable by sliding in the horizontal plane and capable of tilting angularly around the central pivot.

5. A fold up work surface and seat combination as claimed in claim 4, wherein the work surface is attached to the support leg by two elongate members and a tubular structure locked in position by quick release lever cams operating through 90 degrees.

6. A fold up work surface and seat combination according to any preceding claim, wherein the desk and seat combination is in a collapsed form when each of the two support legs are moved to a position in which they are adjacent to and substantially parallel with, one another.

7. A fold up work surface and seat combination according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the seat is hingedly attached to at least one support leg and can be swung through at least 315 degrees.

8. A fold up work surface and seat combination according to claim 1, wherein the two support legs are formed from substantially rectangular me, ,bers.

9. A fold up work surface and seat combination according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the seat is detachable from at least one support leg.

10.A fold up work surface and seat combination according to any preceding claim, wherein the seat is locked in position when in its erect form by a bracket attached to two of the work surface elongate support members, these being in tern attached pivotally to one of the support legs using, in its erect form a double ended spring loaded slam bolt mechanism.

11.A fold up work surface and seat combination as claimed in any preceding claim which is made from metal, carbon fibre, plastics material or wood, or from a combination of these materials.

12.A fold up work surface and seat combination according to any preceding claim, wherein the work surface can be an artist easel, sheet music stand, an ironing board, a revolving work top, a craft/hobby work top, an embroidery/tapestry frame, a drawing board, a black board, a white board, a reading table, a school desk, a light box, a fishing rod attachment or a desk top suitable for Laptop or Notebook style computers.

13.A fold up work surface and seat combination as described herein with reference to Figures 1 - 7 of the accompanying drawings.