Height adjustable holding apparatus

A height adjustable holding apparatus for holding an object is provided. The height adjustable holding apparatus includes a support, a moving part, a holding unit, an elastic member, and a linking unit. The moving part is movable along the support, wherein the object connects to the moving part to be movable along the support. The holding unit is disposed at a top end of the support. The elastic member is disposed at a bottom end of the support. One end of the linking unit connects to the moving part and the other end extending around the holding unit to connect to the elastic member. When moving the object along the support to a desired position, the object substantially remains balanced at the desired position by the cooperation of the holding unit, the elastic member and the linking unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention generally relates to a height adjustable holding apparatus. More particularly, this invention relates to a height adjustable holding apparatus for holding a display.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Display apparatuses are widely used in modern life. In addition to being a necessary equipment for receiving image from a computer, the display apparatus can be used for receiving and displaying television programs, family video games, and multimedia information.

Human eyes receive video images output from the display apparatus. In order to have the greatest displaying effect and to avoid the discomfort and loss of eyesight caused by users lifting up and down their heads for a long period of time, the height of the display is preferably adjustable. Moreover, the height of the display is preferably easily adjustable since the user frequently changes the position and the elevation angle of his/her head.

Currently, adjusting the height of a display is usually adopted a support having a constant force spring. Because a tensile force of the constant force spring remains constant regardless of the extending length of the spring, the constant force spring provides a constant tensile force to the display regardless of the height of the display. Hence, the display can remain balanced at a desired position after adjusting the height of the display. Conventionally, the thickness of the support is relatively thick because the constant force spring is disposed in the middle part of the support. Therefore, the height adjustable holding apparatus for holding a display is still improvable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a height adjustable holding apparatus for holding an object.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a height adjustable holding apparatus having a thinner exterior.

In one embodiment, a height adjustable holding apparatus includes a support, a moving part, a holding unit, an elastic member, and a linking unit. The moving part is movable along the support, wherein the object connects to the moving part to be movable along the support. The holding unit is disposed at the top end of the support. The elastic member is disposed at the bottom end of the support. One end of the linking unit connects to the moving part and the other end extends around the holding unit to connect to the elastic member. When moving the object along the support to a desired position, the object substantially remains balance balanced at the desired position by the cooperation of the holding unit, the elastic member and the linking unit.

The end of the elastic member connected to the linking unit moves along a second direction when the object moves along a first direction, wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction. The object may include a display. The elastic member includes a constant force spring. The bottom end of the support further includes a support accommodation portion for accommodating the elastic member. The height adjustable apparatus further includes a base connected to the bottom end of the support. The base further includes a base accommodation portion for accommodating the elastic member.

The holding unit may include a roller. The roller is transversely fixed at the top end of the support. Alternatively, the holding unit may include a pulley. The linking unit may include a chain, a rope, or a steel wire covered with plastic. The height adjustable holding apparatus may further include a stopper disposed on the support for restricting the movement of the moving part.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The present invention provides a height adjustable holding apparatus for holding an object. In a preferred embodiment shown inFIG. 1, the object400is a display of a display apparatus600, wherein the height adjustable device800is a holder for holding the display. In other embodiments, however, the height adjustable holding apparatus800can be a holder for holding other objects, such as a television or any object in need of height adjustable support.

As shown inFIG. 1, the height adjustable holding apparatus800includes a support100, a moving part300, a holding unit500, an elastic member700, and a linking unit900. The moving part300is disposed to be movable along the support100and provided to connect the object400, so that the object400can be movable along the support100.

More particularly, the support100may include a guiding unit disposed along a side of the support100for guiding the moving part300as well as the object400to be movable along the support100. The guiding unit can be a rail, a groove, or a shaft and can be provided in singular or plural form. As shown inFIG. 2, two coupling portions310are disposed on two sides of the moving part300. The coupling portions310are respectively inserted into two grooves110on two inner sides of the support100. As the coupling portions310couple with the grooves110respectively, the moving part300is restricted to move along the support100.

As shown inFIG. 1, the holding unit500is disposed at a top end of the support100, but not limited to. For example, as shown inFIG. 2, the holding unit500is a roller transversely fixed at the top end of the support100. The holding unit500is provided to allow the linking unit900to extend around the holding unit500so that the heading direction of the linking unit900is changed. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the holding unit500can be any other suitable device for changing the heading direction of the linking unit900, for example a pulley.

The elastic member700is disposed at a bottom end of the support100. One end of the linking unit900connects to the moving part300and the other end extends around the holding unit500to connect to the elastic member700. As shown inFIG. 2, a pair of linking units900, but not limited to, are disposed to share the loading and to increase the total loading capacity. The linking unit900can be a chain, a rope, or any other suitable belt-like mechanism capable of linking the moving part300and the elastic member700. The linking unit900is preferable that a steel wire covered with plastic, but not limited to, to decrease the friction damage on the holding unit500when the object400is moving. As shown inFIG. 2, the linking unit900is fixed onto the moving part300through a fixing part330on the surface of the moving part300. In another embodiment, the linking unit900can be directly tied to a through hole of the moving part300or connected to the moving part300by welding, adhering, or clamping, etc.

The operation of the height adjustable holding apparatus800of the present invention will be described as follows. When a user applies an external force to move the object400over a first distance d1along and relative to the support100from a first position610shown inFIG. 1to a second position620shown inFIG. 3, the moving part300moves together with the object400over the first distance d1and the end of the linking unit900connected to the moving part300is pulled down over the first distance d1. Since the other end of the linking unit900extends around the holding unit500to connect to the elastic member700, the end of the linking unit900connected to the elastic member700moves upward and pulls the elastic member700to extend over the first distance d1. In other words, the end of the elastic member700connected to the linking unit900moves along a second direction when the object400moves along a first direction, wherein the first direction is opposite to the second direction. In a preferred embodiment shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 3, the first direction and the second direction are downward and upward respectively.

As shown inFIG. 1, the elastic member700is a constant force spring, wherein the tensile force of the elastic member700applying on the linking unit900substantially remains constant after being pulled over the first distance d1. In other words, the tensile force of the elastic member700applying on the linking unit900will not substantially be changed while the movement of the object400. Therefore, when moving the object400along the support100to a desired position, the object400substantially remains balanced at the desired position by the cooperation of the holding unit500, the elastic member700and the linking unit900. The constant force elastic member700requires a space to accommodate and is disposed at the bottom end of the support100. The holding unit500, the linking unit900, and the coupling portion310of the moving part300disposed in the support100, which are occupied relatively less space than the constant force elastic member700mentioned above. Therefore, the thickness of the support100can be reduced so that the height adjustable holding apparatus800having a thinner exterior is provided.

In a preferred embodiment shown inFIG. 4, the bottom end of the support100further includes a support accommodation portion130for accommodating the constant force spring, which serves as the elastic member700. In other words, only an unrolled plate part710of the constant force spring extends out the support accommodation portion130, and a rolled ribbon part720which are disposed in the support accommodation portion130. Therefore, the thickness of the support100at a position above the elastic member700can be reduced.

In another embodiment shown inFIG. 5, the height adjustable holding apparatus800of the present invention further includes a base200connected to the bottom end of the support100. More particularly, in this embodiment, the support100is inserted into the base200and fixed onto the base200. The base200further includes a base accommodation portion210for accommodating the elastic member700, i.e. the constant force spring.

In the preferred embodiments shown inFIG. 1andFIG. 3, the height adjustable holding apparatus800of the present invention further includes a stopper150disposed on the support100for restricting the movement of the moving part300. The stopper150can be disposed between the moving part300and the top end of the support100to restrict the movement of the moving part300toward the stopper150. When the moving part300moves toward the holding unit500, the stopper150blocks the moving part300from further moving. Because the weight of the moving part300and the weight of the object400are supported by the upward tensile force of the linking unit900, the stopper150can prevent the moving part300from exceeding the top edge of the holding unit500to change the direction of the tensile force of the linking unit900and accordingly prevent the moving part300and the object400from losing the supporting tensile force.

Furthermore, the stopper150can be disposed between the moving part300and the bottom end of the support100for restricting the movement of the moving part300toward the bottom end of the support100. In a preferred embodiment shown inFIG. 3, the movement of the moving part300is restricted by the stopper150when the moving part300moves toward the bottom end of the support100to the position corresponding to the stopper150. Since the extending length of the elastic member700, i.e. the constant force spring, is limited, the stopper150can be used to prevent the constant force spring from being pulled over its extending length limit by the linking unit900. Moreover, in another embodiment, the movement of the moving part300is restricted by the stopper150to avoid the object400bumping against the ground or the bottom of the support100.

Moreover, the stopper and the support are integrally formed into a single piece. As shown inFIG. 4, the stopper150is made by punching the support100. In other words, in a preferred embodiment, the stopper is in a plate form made by directly punching the housing of the support100. In other embodiments, however, the stopper150can be in different forms, such as pillar or protrusion.