Dual functional desk with tilt-adjustable tops

[0001] The present invention relates to a dual functional desk with front and rear tops that could be separately adjusted to different tilt angles best for writing, reading, and drawing, or watching a screen of a computer, a TV set, or a personal digital assistant (PDA) mounted on the rear top. When the screen is not in use, the front and the rear top may be adjusted to a horizontal state or locate in the same plane with the screen invisibly located below the rear top, giving the desk an increased usable top surface.

[0002] For most people living in the modern society, computers and television sets are indispensable working apparatus for retrieving information. In the future era of digitalization, computers and TV sets will be combined into one unit for use.

[0003] For a desktop computer, the conventional cathode-ray tube (CRT) type screen having a big volume and producing high radiation has been replaced with a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen. The LCD screen has small volume and occupies reduced space on a computer desk. Generally, a computer user would position the LCD screen close to a rear side of the computer desk, and put different controlling devices or other necessary articles close to a front side of the desk. This inevitably results in a disordered front side of the computer desk to form an intangible pressure to the computer user.

[0004] Conventional desks or computer desks usually include a one-piece, fixed, and horizontal top. When the top is too large, it is not easy to clearly view the LCD screen positioned near the rear side of the top. On the other hand, when the top is too small, it provides only a limited space not enough to hold other necessary computer-related apparatus, books, etc. Moreover, the desk having a generally horizontal top is not suitable for a user to comfortably operate a mouse or a writing pad with the vertebral column in a correct position meeting the reasonable requirements of ergonomics. When reading at a computer desk or watching a screen mounted on a computer desk having a horizontal top, reflected light causing eye discomfort would occur. Therefore, the general computer desk having a fixed horizontal top does not meet the ergonomics and tends to cause physical problems, including easily tired eyes and deformed vertebral column, on a user working at the computer desk over a prolonged time. Moreover, the LCD screen also occupies a certain fixed area of the top of the computer desk. When the computer is not in use, the LCD screen is still visibly positioned on the conventional computer desk to create a pressure to the user and the surrounding environment, and reduce a usable top area of the computer desk.

[0005] A primary object of the present invention is to provide a dual functional desk with front and rear tops that could be separately adjusted to different tilt angles best for writing, reading, and drawing, or watching a screen mounted on the rear top, or adjusted to a horizontal state or the same plane with the screen in a hidden position without occupying the usable surface area of the desk.

[0006] To achieve the above and other objects, the dual functional desk with tilt-adjustable tops according to the present invention includes a stand frame; a front top mounted to an upper front portion of the stand frame via a front tilt control device; and a rear top including a screen support and mounted to an upper rear portion of the stand frame via a rear tilt control device.

[0007] The front top is seated on a supporting frame, which is slidably mounted to the upper front portion of the stand frame to move forward or rearward relative to the stand frame. The front top in a horizontal state serves as a horizontal top of a general desk, and may be adjusted to a tilt angle between zero and twenty-five degrees suitable for reading, writing, and drawing thereat.

[0008] The screen support on the rear top includes a frame and a fixing bracket that enabling a screen and an anti-glare filter to be mounted on the screen support flush with the rear top. The rear top could be adjusted to different tilt angles between zero and 90 degrees for a user to comfortably watch the computer or TV screen mounted on the rear top.

[0009] When it is desired to use the computer, the front and the rear top could be separately adjusted to different tilt angles, so that a user could utilize the front top to comfortably write, read, or draw, and the rear top to comfortably watch the screen. When the computer or the TV set is not in use, the front and the rear top could be restored to the horizontal state or the same plane with the screen invisibly located below the rear top, so that a desk with a wide, clean, and orderly top is provided.

[0010] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein

[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dual functional desk with tilt-adjustable tops according to an embodiment of the present invention with a rear top thereof in a tilt position;

[0012] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dual functional desk of FIG. 1 with a front top thereof also in a tilt position;

[0013] FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side view of FIG. 2;

[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the dual functional desk of FIG. 1 with front and rear tops thereof in a fully horizontal state; and

[0015] FIG. 5 is an exploded rear perspective view of the rear top of the dual functional desk of the present invention.

[0016] Please refer to FIGS. 1 and 2 that are two perspective views of a dual functional desk with tilt-adjustable tops according to an embodiment of the present invention, and to FIG. 3 that is a fragmentary side view of FIG. 2. As shown, the dual functional desk of the present invention mainly includes a stand frame 1, a front top 2, and a rear top 3.

[0017] The stand frame 1 includes two side members 11 separately located at two upper lateral sides of the stand frame 1.

[0018] The front top 2 is mounted to an upper front portion of the stand frame 1, such as front ends of the two side members 11, via a front tilt control device 21.

[0019] The front top 2 includes a supporting frame 22 located below it. The supporting frame 22 is mounted at two lateral sides to front ends of the two side members 11 of the stand frame 1, and pivotally connected at a front end to a bottom front portion of the front top 2 via first hinges 23. The above-mentioned front tilt control device 21 is located between the supporting frame 22 and a position close to a bottom rear portion of the front top 2.

[0020] The front tilt control device 21 may be, for example, a positioning ratchet plate enabling stepped tilt adjustment, or an air cylinder enabling stepless tilt adjustment. With the front tilt control device 21, the front top 2 could be pivotally turned about the first hinges 23 to lift a rear edge thereof at a tilt angle between zero and twenty-five degrees, which is suitable for a user to read, write, or draw at the front top 2.

[0021] The side members 11 of the stand frame 1 are provided with a slide rail 12 each, so that the supporting frame 22 of the front top 2 is slidably mounted in the slide rails 12 to move forward or rearward relative to the side members 11. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the supporting frame 22 is allowed to move relative to the side members 11 within a range from zero to twenty centimeters. That is, the front top 2 could be pulled forward to close to a user and used in a more comfortable manner.

[0022] The rear top 3 is mounted to an upper rear portion of the stand frame 1, such as near upper rear ends of the two side members 11, via a rear tilt control device 31. The rear top 3 is pivotally connected at two lower front ends to two near middle points of the two side members 11 via second hinges 32 with the rear tilt control device 31 located between the rear ends of the side members 11 and a position close to a bottom front of the rear top 3.

[0023] Please refer to FIG. 5 that is an exploded rear perspective view of the rear top 3. As shown, the rear top 3 includes a left panel 33, a right panel 34, and a screen support 35 located between the left and the right panel 33, 34. The screen support 35 includes a frame 36 and a fixing bracket 37. The frame 36 is provided at each lateral side with a connecting section 361, which includes at least one sideward-extended wing plate 362 for connecting to the left or the right panel 33, 34, and a rearward-extended slotted plate 363 formed of a plurality of horizontally spaced locating slots 364. The fixing bracket 37 includes a transverse main body 371 and a forward-extended side plate 372 at each end of the main body 371. The side plates 372 are provided with fixing holes 373, and the main body 371 is provided with at least one screen-fixing hole 374.

[0024] A screen, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen (not shown) is positioned between and fixed to the frame 36 and the fixing bracket 37 by threading fastening elements through the fixing holes 373 on the side plates 372 of the fixing bracket 37 and the locating slots 364 on the slotted plates 363 of the frame 36, as well as the screen-fixing holes 374 on the main body 371 of the fixing bracket 37, depending on a thickness of the screen.

[0025] An anti-glare filter 38 is hung in front of the LCD screen support 35 between the left and the right panel 33, 34 to protect the screen fixed to the screen support 35 and a user's eyes. The anti-glare filter 38 is easily and removably hung on the screen support 35 using clips, hooks or the like to locate on the rear top 3 without hindering the user from controlling or operating the LCD screen.

[0026] The left and the right panel 33, 34 are made of a metal material, or have metal elements (not shown) embedded therein. Magnetic elements may be utilized to magnetically attach necessary documents to the left and/or the right panel 33, 34 for viewing conveniently.

[0027] The above-mentioned rear tilt control device 31 may be, for example, a positioning ratchet plate enabling stepped tilt adjustment, or an air cylinder enabling stepless tilt adjustment. With the rear tilt control device 31, the rear top 3 could be pivotally turned about the second hinges 32 to lift a rear edge thereof at a tilt angle between zero and ninety degrees, which is suitable for a user to watch the screen mounted on the rear top 3.

[0028] When it is desired to use a computer or watch a TV, a user may separately adjust the front and the rear top 2, 3 to different tilt angles best for writing, drawing, and reading at the front top and watching the screen mounted on the rear top, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. When the screen is not in use, the front and the rear top 2, 3 may be restored to the horizontal state or located in the same plane, as shown in FIG. 4, with the screen invisibly located below the rear top 3. In this manner, a wide and planar top is created for use as a general desk with increased surface area.

[0029] The dual functional desk with tilt-adjustable tops according to the present invention allows a user not only to best utilize the space above a desk for different purposes, but also adjust the front and the rear top to different tilt angles best for viewing in terms of ergonomics, and thereby reducing discomfort of user's eyes and/or body caused by watching the screen or sitting in front of the desk over a prolonged time.

[0030] The present invention has been described with a preferred embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.