WO2003015995A1

WO2003015995A1 - Improved collapsible bench

Info

Publication number: WO2003015995A1
Application number: PCT/FR2002/002862
Authority: WO
Inventors: André Dieu
Original assignee: Dieu Andre
Priority date: 2001-08-13
Filing date: 2002-08-13
Publication date: 2003-02-27
Also published as: FR2828426A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a collapsible bench of the type that comprises a work and/or clamping surface (2) and a collapsible support structure (3). The inventive bench can occupy (i) an unfolded, work position, in which the legs (9) of the support structure (3) are moved away from the work table (2) in order to rest on the ground, or (ii) a folded-up, storage position in which the legs (9) extend essentially along at least one plane that is parallel to the work surface (2). Said bench is characterised in that each of the legs (9) comprises a fulcrum pin (10) which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the work surface (2) and a leg lock pin (11) which is provided with a means for quickly securing (14) said legs in the work or storage positions, said means being movable with the leg (9).

Description

Advanced folding workbench

The present invention relates to folding workbenches, also called portable workbenches, intended in particular for DIY.

It relates more particularly to a folding workbench of the type comprising a work table and a foldable support structure, which can selectively take either an unfolded or work position in which the feet belonging to the support structure move away from the work table. work to rest on the ground, either a folded or storage position in which the feet extend substantially in one or more planes parallel to the work table and neighbors thereof.

It will be recalled that the expression “work table” designates the component or components of the workbench extending substantially in a horizontal plane in the working position and in particular beams which can be mutually displaced in their own plane to clamp objects between their songs opposite.

Although workbenches of this type have been known and used for many years, they continue to be the subject of developments aimed at reducing their bulk in thickness and width in the folded position while retaining adequate stability at the time of their use.

Thus, the invention aims to provide an improved folding workbench which is less bulky in thickness and in width than the known folding workbench thus facilitating its storage and transport, and which is also stable and secure for the user.

To this end, the subject of the present invention is a folding workbench of the type comprising a work and / or clamping table and a foldable support structure, which can selectively take either an unfolded or work position in which feet belonging to the support structure move away from the work table to rest on the floor, either a folded or storage position in which the feet extend substantially along at least one plane parallel to the work table, characterized in that each of the feet comprises on the one hand a pivot axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the work plate and on the other hand a leg blocking axis provided with a rapid immobilization means in the two storage positions respectively or which is movable with the foot.

According to a preferred arrangement, the blocking axis is shaped to move in a lumen, having substantially the shape of a bean, produced on a side wall integral with the support structure, the ends of said lumen further constituting stops the movement of one foot from the storage position to the use position and vice versa.

According to one embodiment, the means of rapid immobilization of the feet in the working or storage position consists of an eccentric system consisting of a screw passing through the foot and a side wall of the support, provided with one of its ends of a nut capable of bearing on a wall of the support structure and at its other end of a head on which is articulated on an eccentric axis a lever intended to crush, in a determined position, an outer ring coaxial with the screw .

According to an alternative embodiment, the feet fold around their articulation axis in parallel planes allowing an arrangement substantially side by side of the feet in the storage position thus ensuring a minimum bulk in thickness in the latter position.

Still according to the invention, the feet are arranged with respect to the transverse axis of the work platform in an asymmetrical manner so that one of the feet is fixed inside the supporting structure while the other foot is fixed outside of the supporting structure.

According to another alternative embodiment, the feet are arranged symmetrically with respect to the transverse axis and each of the feet is either telescopic or made of at least two separate parts.

According to yet another alternative embodiment, the feet are arranged symmetrically with respect to the transverse axis and each of the feet is produced in a single block and has a length at most equal to half the length of the work plate.

According to an advantageous arrangement, each of the support feet is fixed to a side wall integral with the support structure having an inclination relative to the horizontal plane of the work plate ensuring an inclination of said feet and thus stability to the workbench. According to another advantageous arrangement, the angle of inclination of the wall of the support structure can be different from one foot to another.

According to another advantageous arrangement, the support structure consists of at least one support frame on which the support legs are articulated.

The characteristics of the invention mentioned above, as well as others, will appear more clearly on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a workbench according to the present invention, shown in the unfolded position,

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the workbench according to FIG. 1 in the folded position,

FIG. 3 is a detailed view in section along the line III-III of FIG. 1 of the blocking mechanism for the feet of the workbench, and

FIG. 4 is a view on a larger scale of the circled area A of FIG. 1.

There is shown in Figure 1, a folding workbench 1 according to the invention comprising a work and / or clamping plate 2 connected to a support structure 3 foldable.

The work plate 2 consists for example of a fixed clamping beam 4 and a movable clamping beam 5 arranged on at least one support frame 3a, 3b partly forming the support structure 3.

It will be noted that the workbench shown is constituted in a nonlimiting manner of two support frames designated respectively by the references 3a and 3b.

These clamping beams 4 and 5 also designated jaws are arranged in a conventional manner flat and horizontal, thus forming the jaws of a vice. These two jaws 4 and 5 or jaws can be brought closer or apart mutually under the action of two threaded rods 6, respectively disposed in a slide 7 integral with the support frame 3a, 3b, capable of being driven in rotation, independently one on the other, by cranks 8 provided with handles. Each of these threaded rods 6 cooperates with a block threaded integral with the movable jaw 5.

The support structure 3 also comprises feet 9 articulated on the latter, capable of selectively taking two positions: a folded or storage position in which said feet 9 extend substantially in at least one plane parallel to the work table 2 and neighbors from it and an unfolded or working position in which the feet 9 move away from the working plate 2 to rest on the ground.

According to the present invention, each of the legs 9 comprises on the one hand a pivot axis 10 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis P of the work plate 2 and on the other hand a blocking axis 11 of the legs 9, provided with a means rapid immobilization 14 in the two storage or working positions, which is movable with the foot 9.

According to a preferred embodiment, the locking pin 11 is shaped to move in a lumen 12, having substantially the shape of a bean, produced on a side wall 13 secured to the corresponding support frame 3a or 3b. The ends of said lumen 12 also constitute stops when a leg 9 is moved from the storage position to the use position and vice versa.

Referring to FIG. 3, one can see a particular embodiment of a means 14 for immobilizing a foot secured to the locking pin 11.

This rapid immobilization means 14, that is to say without any specific tool, of the feet 9 in the working or storage position is for example constituted by an eccentric system which can be operated by a lever 15.

This eccentric system conventionally consists of a screw 16 passing through the foot 9 and the side wall 13 of the corresponding support 3a or 3b, provided at one of its ends with a nut 17 capable of bearing on the wall 13 of the support structure 3 and at its other end with a head 18 on which is articulated, on an eccentric axis, the lever 15 intended to crush, in a determined position, an outer ring 19 coaxial with the screw 16.

It is understood that the lever 15, by folding down along the foot 9, is supported on the cylindrical part of the ring 19 causing a displacement of the screw 16 which, consequently, ensures a blocking of the foot 9 against the side wall of the corresponding foot support 3a, 3b. Note that nut 17 allows you to fine-tune the foot tightening adjustment.

FIG. 2 shows the workbench in the storage position with its four feet 9 folded over the work platform 2.

In order to ensure a minimum space requirement in thickness in the storage position, the feet 9 fold around their pivot axis 10 along parallel planes allowing an arrangement substantially side by side of the feet 9 in this position.

To do this, the feet 9 relative to the transverse axis Q of the work plate 2 are advantageously arranged asymmetrically so that one of the feet 9 is fixed inside the corresponding support 3a, 3b while the other foot 9 is fixed to the outside of the support 3a, 3b.

However, according to a variant embodiment not shown, the feet 9 can be arranged symmetrically with respect to the transverse axis Q, that is to say face to face; in this configuration, each of the feet 9 is either telescopic, or produced in at least two separate parts.

It is understood that such an arrangement of the support legs 9 of a workbench 1 makes it possible to obtain a minimum size in the folded position further offering the possibility of storing it in a tool box, while retaining its normal working height, about 80 cm from the ground.

According to yet another variant, the feet 9 are produced in a single block and have a length at most equal to half the length of the work plate 2 thus allowing an arrangement of the latter symmetrically with respect to the transverse axis Q of work table 2.

The workbench 1 according to the present invention has good stability in the position of use, advantageously obtained in particular by the flared shape of the support 3 of the feet 9 ensuring an inclination of the latter, as visible in detail in FIG. 4.

Indeed, each of the support legs 9 is fixed to a side wall 13 integral with the support structure 3 having an inclination α relative to the horizontal plane of the work plate 2 ensuring an inclination of said feet 9 and thus stability to the workbench 1.

It will be noted that, advantageously, the angle of inclination α of the wall 13 of the supporting structure on the same workbench can be different from one foot to another.

We will now describe with reference to Figures 1 to 4 the different unfolding phases of the workbench 1.

In the position of Figure 2, the workbench is completely folded, the immobilization means 14 of the feet 9 is in the locked position.

First, we have the workbench 1 on the upper face of the work plate 2 and then we pivot the lever 15 of each immobilization means 14 of the feet 9 to remove the clamping of the foot on the foot support 3. It then simply rotate these feet 9 outward to move them from their stowed position to their deployed or use position, in order to widen the seat of the workbench 1.

During the movement of each leg 9, the latter pivots about its pivot axis 10 while also following the path formed by the lumen 12 induced by the sliding in the latter of the locking axis 11. It then suffices to lock each leg 9 by folding the lever 15.

Finally, the workbench 1 is turned over in order to make it rest on its support legs 9, as visible in FIG. 1.

To fold the workbench 1 from its deployed position (Figure 1) to its storage position (Figure 2), simply perform the operations described above in reverse.

It will be understood from reading the description above that the workbench according to the present invention is relatively simple to produce and allows a minimum space requirement capable of being placed in a place as small as possible, for example on a storage shelf, in a suitcase for easy transport, etc.

Furthermore, this workbench retains, although simple to make and light, good stability in the working position. In addition, the quick immobilization means for the feet provides effective blocking for work and / or storage, thus providing easy folding of the feet under the work plate, in the direction of the length of said plate.

Although the invention has been described in connection with an embodiment particular it includes all the technical equivalents of the means described.

Thus, it is understood that the work platform can be equipped with a means of fixing an electric portable machine with all the security necessary for its use.

Claims

1. Folding workbench of the type comprising a work and / or clamping table (2) and a foldable support structure (3), which can selectively take either an unfolded or work position in which feet (9) belonging to the support structure (3) move away from the work table (2) to rest on the floor, either a folded or storage position in which the feet (9) extend substantially in at least one plane parallel to the table work (2), characterized in that each of the feet (9) comprises on the one hand a pivot axis (10) perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the work plate (2) and on the other hand a locking axis ( 11) feet (9) provided with a rapid immobilization means (14) in the two storage or working positions, respectively, which is movable with the foot (9).

2. Workbench according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking pin (11) is shaped to move in a lumen (12), having substantially the shape of a bean, formed on a side wall (13) integral of the supporting structure (3), the ends of said lumen (12) further constituting stops when moving a leg (9) from the storage position to the position of use and vice versa.

3. Workbench according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the rapid immobilization means (14) of the feet (9) in the working or storage position consists of an eccentric system consisting of a screw ( 16) passing through the foot (9) and a side wall (13) of the support (3), provided at one of its ends with a nut (17) capable of bearing on the wall (13) of the support structure (3) and at its other end of a head (18) on which is articulated, on an eccentric axis, a lever (15) intended to crush, in a determined position, an outer ring (19) coaxial with the screw ( 16).

4. Workbench according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the feet (9) fold up around their pivot axis (10) along parallel planes allowing an arrangement substantially side by side of the feet in the storage position thus ensuring a minimum bulk in thickness in the latter position.

5. Workbench according to claim 4, characterized in that the feet (9) are arranged relative to the transverse axis (Q) of the work plate (2) of asymmetrically so that one of the legs (9) is fixed inside the supporting structure (3) while the other leg (9) is fixed outside of the supporting structure (3).

6. Workbench according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the feet (9) are arranged symmetrically with respect to the transverse axis (Q) and in that each of the feet (9) is either telescopic or made in at least two separate parts.

7. Workbench according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the feet (9) are arranged symmetrically with respect to the transverse axis (Q) and in that each of the feet (9) is made in one single block and has a maximum length equal to half the length of the work plate (2).

8. Workbench according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the support feet (9) is fixed to a side wall (13) integral with the support structure (3) having an inclination (α) relative to the horizontal plane of the work plate (2) ensuring an inclination of said feet (9) and thus stability to the workbench (1).

9. Workbench according to claim 8, characterized in that the angle of inclination (α) of the wall (13) of the support structure (3) can be different from one foot to another.

10. Workbench according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the support structure (3) consists of at least one support frame (3a, 3b) on which the support legs (9) are articulated.