US20090050028A1

US20090050028A1 - Ecodesk

Info

Publication number: US20090050028A1
Application number: US12/043,126
Authority: US
Inventors: Ho-Jen Liao Fang
Original assignee: Taikong Corp
Current assignee: Taikong Corp
Priority date: 2007-08-20
Filing date: 2008-03-05
Publication date: 2009-02-26
Also published as: EP2033539A1; SG150423A1

Abstract

The present invention provides a desk combining both practical and ornamental purposes. The desk designed with underneath desktop compartment for displaying all kinds of objects such as keeping water animals, cultivating vegetables and fruits, or showing collections. The desktop comprises a transparent board for users to observe objects inside the compartment from a top view. Besides, the desktop and the desk body are connected by oil pressure holding rod or sliding track which are aimed to lift or move the desktop easily and provide the convenience for organizing objects inside the compartment.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an ornamental desk where the internal compartment can be used for object display, especially for ecological observation as an ecodesk.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Desk is one of the necessary furniture in everyday life. The major improvement of conventional desk on the market is focused on its material and appearance. With advanced technology, the aquarium desk, new concept furniture combining raising living creatures and observation, is coming into the market.
The aquarium desk equips functions as an ordinary desk as well as fish jar or other types of container. This container usually comprises transparent outer walls, and users can display ornament inside the container such as fish, plants, or other personal decoration. The aquarium desk can utilize spaces effectively such as eliminating extra ornament of fish jar, and the internal compartment in the desk can also be used for storage. It can be used as decoration in family, offices, coffee shops, restaurants, hotels, etc. Raising fish in the aquarium desk can be used not only for decoration but also as a symbol of fortune. Therefore, the innovative fish jar is promising in the market.
Various kinds of the aquarium desk can be found in the market, mainly for raising fish, with accessories such as sprinkler, hollow pipes, water tank, water pump and filter. The container of the aquarium usually extends to the ground to make desk clumsy. Users feel uncomfortable since they cannot put their legs under the desk while sitting around it. Further, it is very difficult to clean fish jar by lifting heavy desktop of the table. Accordingly, the function of the aquarium desk is limited. Moreover, the opening of the container of the current aquarium desk is too small to clean and to place other lager objects.
To close the nature, it is pleasant that one has a pool in a house. However, the current living place is restricted; it is difficult that to realize the dream of having a pool in a house.
Given the above, the present invention solves the inefficiency of known technology and provides every family with a pool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a structure diagram of the present ecodesk.

FIG. 2 shows the structure image of the container and an adjustable drain pipe of the present ecodesk.

FIG. 3 shows the present ecodesk in use.

FIG. 4( a) to (d) show (a) the closing diagram; (b) the decomposed structure diagram; (c) the opening diagram; and (d) the opening flank diagram of the present ecodesk.

FIG. 5 shows (a) the image and (b) the decomposed structure diagram of the present ecodeck in a form of bar table.

FIG. 6 shows the image of the present ecodesk with a sliding track.

The reference number of illustrating the main components in the present ecodesk as follows:

110: desktop
111: feeding hole
112: transparent desktop region
113: connecting board of oil pressure holding rod
114: opaque or semi-transparent desktop region
120: oil pressure holding rod
130: container
131: separative compartment
132: adjustable drain pipe
133: hinge
140: outer wall of the desk body
141: splint desk foot
142: desk foot stand
210: rubber ring
220: outer wall of the container
221: separative board
222: rim
223: bottom of the container
224: legged table
225: horizontal rod

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an ecodeck comprising:
a movable desktop with a transparent region;
a container which is linked to the desktop; and
a desk body or a suspender which supports or is linked to the container,
wherein the container provides an environment for raising a creature or a space for placing an object.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTON

The present invention provides an ecodeck comprising:
a movable desktop with a transparent region, a container linked to the desktop, and a desk body or a suspender to bear or to link with the container, wherein the container provides an environment for raising a creature or a space for placing an object.
In one of the embodiments, the movable desktop is linked to the desk body by at least one holding rod, at least one revolving rod, at least one sliding track or at least one hinge. To avoid fully opening the desktop, a smaller region (such as transparent region) of the desktop could be lifted, or the desktop could be separated to at least two parts, each part could be lifted or moved individually.
The term “ecodesk” used herein could be applied to various tables in normal life. Such tables include but not limit to living room tables, desks, calculating tables, an official tables, dinner tables, tatami room tables, bar tables, class desks, meeting tables, cashier tables, dressing tables, teppanyaki tables, studio tables, edge tables, flank tables, Buddhist tables, coffee tables, leisure tables or gambling tables.
In one of the embodiment, there is at lease one hinge, linked the desktop and the desk body. The holding rod is oil pressure type, hydraulic pressure type, gas pressure type or mortise-and-tenon type to fix the desktop after lifting. In the other embodiment, the desktop could be moved clockwise or counter clockwise by revolving rod. In the other embodiment, the desktop is moved horizontally along the sliding track and is fixed on the sliding track. The holding rod and the sliding track could be more than one, and the desktop could be fixed strongly and conveniently.
Users could place their feet and legs under the desk body of the present invention.
In one of the embodiment, the desk body comprises desk feet which could be split for convenient movement and saving space.
In one of the embodiment, the desk body extends downward to form a legged table. The legged table has at least three supportive points to stand stably.
In one of the embodiment, the legged table is made by a transparent or semi-transparent material to let light source (such as LED) project the transparent or semi-transparent material and then form an illuminant. Light could change atmosphere and relax people's pressure. Given the above, in one of the embodiment, the ecodeck comprises a projecting light source to project the image of the container to another side or to light up the material.
In one of the embodiment, the container is linked to the desk body as a compartment or by a manner of sliding track or drawing. The surroundings of compartment could install an illumination system to light up the desk and provides the plants with photosynthesis. The desk body comprises an electricity outlet. Moreover, the outer wall of the container is made by a transparent material for watching the inner scenes conveniently. The bottom of the desk body comprises a drain pipe for controlling the water-level in the container conveniently.
In addition, due to the shallow broad of the container, the bottom of the container could pave water-purifying materials. Because of the low water-level and the increase of surface area, the efficiency of gas change and natural filtration in the container are very good. Even in power cut, the oxygen contents in the container are high enough to maintain the creatures' activity. Furthermore, the center of the container could form an inverted pyramid or any shape extending downward to the central bottom to give additional space to lager fish or lager ornaments.
In the other embodiment, there is a life support system between the desk body and the container. The life support system is preferentially a water-purifying device, a water supplier, or a filtration and circulation system. For attractive looks, the desktop contains an opaque or semi-transparent region. Further, the opaque or semi-transparent region contains paintings, marks or totems.
Besides, the desk present desk can be in any shape. In a preferred embodiment, the present ecodesk is in rectangular, square, diamond, oval or circular shape.
The present invention provides an easy way for users to organize the space inside the compartment by means of the movable desktop. The desktop and the desk body are separative units, and they are connected by oil pressure holding rod or sliding track which enable the desktop to be lifted or slid open easily in order to expose the compartment underneath the desktop. Therefore, this feature provides an easy way for users to clean the container and place objects in or remove objects from the container.
To allow a user comfortable, the present invention also creates space for the user's legs beneath the outer wall of desk body by reducing the height of the container of the desk.
In detail, the present invention provides a multifunctional ecodesk where light bulbs of various colors can be placed around the sides of the compartment underneath the desktop for providing lights of various colors. In an embodiment, the present invention comprises a light controlling system to control the period or times of illumination. In a further embodiment, the desk contains an illumination system to light up the desk and provides the plants with photosynthesis
The container of the present invention can be used to raise animals as well as insects (such as battles and firefly), water or soil plants and vegetables. It can also be used to display collections or mini landscape for pleasure. In an embodiment of the present invention, the raised creatures could be fish, a shrimp, a water plant, vegetable or an insect.
The container of the present invention could further be locked to avoid losing the objects inside.
The desktop of the present invention comprises a feeding hole to feed creatures in the container conveniently.
The present invention is characterized by the top view observation. That is, the objects are observed from the top view. This feature differentiates the present invention from other aquarium tables in the market.
The ecodesk of the present invention further comprises a power supply to provide an appliance containing a sound, video or light device.

EXAMPLE

The following examples are used to further demonstrate the present invention. The purpose of the examples is for demonstration and illustruction of the present invention, but is not limited to the same.
As shown in FIG. 1, the present ecodesk has four-foot long desk. The ecodesk included desktop (110), desk body and desk foot (141). The desk body mainly included outer wall (140), container (130) and adjustable drain pipe (132). The container (130) could be a transparent one. The center of the desktop (110) was made of transparent glass or acrylic with a closable feeding hole (111). If users raised fish, reptiles, insects or other animals in the present ecodesk, they could be fed through the hole. The desktop and the desk body were connected by hinges (133) an oil pressure holding rod (120) and a connecting board (113) for lifting the desktop easily by users. The underneath compartment below the desktop was a transparent container (130) equipped with adjustable drain pipe (132) at the bottom. The container could be used for raising fish, insects, reptiles or other animals suitable for observation as well as growing plants or small hydroponic crops. When having a banquet, hosts could joyfully demonstrate preparing fresh organic vegetable from the container simply by lifting the desktop and pick vegetable from the container.
The holding rod (120) of the present invention could be oil pressure type or mortise-and-tenon type. The oil pressure holding rod allowed users to lift the desktop easily and stabilize the desktop, and the mortise-and-tenon holding rod could stabilize the desktop when the holding rod slides to the specific mortise-and-tenon location by lifting the desktop. Besides, the holding rod could be replaced with sliding track (shown in FIG. 6) for horizontally movement of the desktop like sliding a cell phone cover open rather than lifting it. Therefore, it provided users with a convenient way to organize the container without moving the objects form the desktop.
The present ecodesk also provided other separative compartments (131) for wires of lights, fish-raising equipments and other electrical accessories and a space for hiding the electrical outlet inside the desk body. Therefore, there was no need to pull the wires out for electrical outlet, and it maintains the wholeness of the desk.
In detail, light bulbs of various colors could be placed around the sides of the compartment underneath the desktop for providing lights of various colors. There was a horizontal rod (225) which could support the weight beneath the container (130).
For the convenience of move and transportation, the present invention equipped splint desk foot (141) as shown in FIG. 2. The outer wall of the desk (140) was made of aluminum alloy to reduce its weight while maintaining the structural strength. In order to strengthen the desk body and increase the height of desk foot, the desk foot stand (142) was applied under the desk foot.
FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the container (130) and a drain pipe (132) of the present ecodesk. The container comprised the outer wall of the container (220) and the bottom of the container (223). An underneath compartment close to the drain pipe (132) was made of separative board (221) and rim (222). The compartment could be used for placing filtration equipment and the drain pipe (132) underneath this compartment. The water level could be adjusted by sliding the drain pipe. Rubber ring (210) was applied to the joint of the drain pipe and the bottom of the container to avoid leaking. If users utilize the present ecodesk for raising living creatures, the compartment of the container (130) can be equipped with essential life support system, such as a water-purifying device, a water supplier, or a filtration and circulation system, for either plant or animal growth.
The container (130) of the present invention could also be used for collection display, and light bulbs could be set around this compartment to highlight the collections. Besides, the light indicating button could also be placed on the desk body to light up the equipped light bulbs over specific regions.
Except the transparent desktop region (112), the desktop further comprised an opaque or semi-transparent region (114) which could be custom-made of any color, including but not limited to silver, gold, wood grin, rainbow colors for the purpose of hiding oil pressure holding rod and concealment in order to display the attractive looks of the ecodesk. Meanwhile, color painting, label or totem could be added upon customer's request for fitting the desk structure into the environment and enhancing the observation pleasure.
Examples above were general examples of the present invention, not for limiting the application of the present invention. Any other application of the present invention, including modification and changes, was included in the protection scope of this patent. The protection scope of the present invention was defined by the claims as below.

Claims

1-25. (canceled)

26. An ecodesk comprises:

a movable desktop with a transparent region;

a desk body which is linked to the desktop; and

a container which is linked to the desktop or the desk body; and provides an environment for raising a creature or a space for placing an object.

27. The ecodesk of claim 26, wherein the desktop is linked to the desk body or the container by at least one holding rod, at least one revolving rod, at least one sliding track or at least one hinge.

28. The ecodesk of claim 27, wherein the holding rod is oil pressure holding rod, gas pressure holding rod, hydraulic pressure holding rod or mortise-and-tenon holding rod for stabilizing the desktop after lifting.

29. The ecodesk of claim 26, wherein the desk body has a compartment.

30. The ecodesk of claim 26, wherein the transparent region is lifted from the desktop.

31. The ecodesk of claim 26, wherein the transparent region is separated to at least two parts, and each part is lifted or moved individually.

32. The ecodesk of claim 26, wherein the bottom of the desk body places feet and legs.

33. The ecodesk of claim 26, wherein the desk body comprises one desk foot.

34. The ecodesk of claim 26, further comprises a drain pipe through the bottom of the desk body.

35. The ecodesk of claim 26, further comprises a water-purifying device, a water supplier, or a filtration and circulation system between the container and the desk body.

36. The ecodesk of claim 26, wherein the bottom of the container is paved by water-purifying materials.

37. The ecodesk of claim 26, wherein the bottom of the container is a type of shallow broad.

38. The ecodesk of claim 26, wherein the raised creature is fish, a shrimp, a water plant, vegetable or an insect.

39. The ecodesk of claim 27, wherein the desk body further comprises an illumination system to light up the desk and provides the plant with photosynthesis.

40. The ecodesk of claim 26, which is a living room table, a desk, a calculating table, an official table, a dinner table, a tatami room table, a bar table, a class desk, a meeting table, a cashier table, a dressing table, a teppanyaki table, a studio table, a edge table, a flank table, a Buddhist table, a coffee table, a leisure table or a gambling table.

41. The ecodesk of claim 26, which further comprises a lock on the container to avoid losing the objects inside.

42. The ecodesk of claim 26, wherein the desktop has a feeding hole to feed a creature conveniently.

43. The ecodesk of claim 33, wherein the desk foot is a split desk foot for convenient movement and saving space.

44. An ecodesk comprises:

a movable desktop with a transparent region;

a container which is linked to the desktop; and

a desk body or a suspender which supports or is linked to the container,

wherein the container provides an environment for raising a creature or a space for placing an object.