Height-adjustable leg for supporting a table top or a like object

Abstract: Height-adjustable leg (1) such as for supporting a table top. The leg comprises two telescopically slidable leg portions (2, 3). A knob housing (5) is fixed on the inner surface (4) of the outer leg portion (2), said housing having a knob (6) therein which is pressed into an aperture (10) in the outer leg portion by a spring (9), in such a way that the outer surfaces (11, 12) of the knob and the leg portion (2) coincide. The knob (6) bears a pin (7) having a larger head being located outside the knob housing (5) and being pressed against the knob housing (5) by said spring (9). The head can be located in recesses (16) arranged in the edges (15) of a slot (14) extending in a partition (13) in the inner leg portion (3). When pushing the knob (6), the head (8) will end up beyond the recesses (16) and the leg portions can be slid in relation to each other.

Description: The invention relates to a height-adjustable leg for supporting a table top or a like object as described in the preamble of claim 1. Such a leg is known by WO-A-972904, in particular by the figures 6 and 7 of this. These figures show a leg from which the inner leg portion is flexible and is clamped when it is mounted in the outer leg portion such that the slot, the opposite edges of which are provided with a toothing, is created and achieves its correct width. The knob housing is provided with a part which is received in the aperture present in the wall of the outer leg portion and with a part which is pressed against the inner surface of said wall by means of resilient protrusions which rest against the inner surface of the wall of the inner leg portion. By said clamping effect and said protrusions moving the leg portions in respect of each other will not be easy. To overcome tilting of the knob housing two springs are mounted one above the other and guides for the toothed wedge are provided to prevent rotating of said wedge. Said guides are received between a pair of longitudinal lists on the inner surface of said inner leg portion. By this the construction is cumbersome and requires a relatively large number of parts. The object of the invention is to remove these disadvantages and this is obtained by applying the features as indicated in the characterizing portion of claim 1. The knob housing is fixed on the inner surface of the outer leg portion, which in particular will be done by bonding. Due to this, the exterior surface of the leg portion is not adversely affected. Preferably, both leg portions will be manufactured by extrusion pressing, such as from aluminium or a like material, for example. Then, an interior wall in the inner leg portion can be obtained in a simple way. In this wall, the slot having the recesses can be mounted in particular after removing a part of the outer wall of the leg portion. In order to enable a smooth sliding movement of the leg portions in relation to each other, there will be a small clearance between the walls of the leg portions and a number of spaced apart sliding blocks of plastic, bridging the clearance, will be mounted on the outer walls of the inner leg portion. As a result of this, only the plastic sliding blocks will be in engagement with the inner wall of the outer leg portion and both leg portions will be able to slide easily in relation to each other. The invention is explained further by way of an embodiment, shown in the drawing, in which: Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section across a part of a leg according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a cross-section across the leg according to the line II - II of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 shows a side view of the inner leg portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows part of a leg 1 consisting of the outer leg portion 2 and the inner leg portion 3. A knob housing 5 is fixed on the inner surface 4 of the outer leg portion 2 by means of bonding. The knob 6 being connected to a pin 7 being provided with a head 8 is located within the knob housing 5. The head 8 is pressed against the knob housing 5 by means of a spring 9. There, the knob 6 is located in an aperture 10 in the wall of the leg portion 2 and the outer surface 11 of the knob 6 will be in one plane with the outer surface 12 of the leg portion 2. In the inner leg portion 3, there is a partition 13 which is connected to the walls of said leg portion 3 by means of parts not further indicated. A slot 14 having its edges provided with recesses 16 is arranged in said partition 13. The head 8 connected to the knob 6 can be received in two recesses 16 opposite each other. When the knob 6 is pushed sufficiently, the head 8 can be brought beyond the recesses 16 and the inner leg portion 3 can be slid in relation to the outer leg portion 2 since the pin 7 connected to the knob 6 can move through the slot 14 and into the partition 13. When the desired position of the leg portions 2 and 3 in relation to each other is reached, the knob 6 can be released and the head 8 will engage certain recesses. The leg portions 2 and 3 will then be locked in relation to each other. In order to enable sliding movement of the leg portions 2 and 3 in relation to each other, a slot 18 is provided in the wall 17 of the inner leg portion 3 so that said leg portion 3 can pass the knob housing 5. Fig. 1 illustrates the position in which the leg portions have been slid apart across the greatest distance. As it appears, in any position of the leg portions 2 and 3, the slot 18 in the leg portion 3 will be situated within the leg portion 2 thus will not be visible. Obviously, the shape of the cross-section of the leg portions 2 and 3 can be changed. In order to enable a smooth sliding movement of the portions in relation to each other, a number of plastic sliding blocks 20 bridging the clearance between both portions 2 and 3 have been mounted on the outer surface 19 of the inner leg portion 3. Owing to this, the portions 2 and 3 will not be able to perform any transverse movement in relation to each other. The upper end of the leg portion 2 will, in a way not described further, be provided with means for securing it to a table top or a like object. The lower end of the leg portion 3 can be provided with a closing member 21 so that the leg can be slid easily. It will be obvious, that only one possible embodiment of an adjustable leg according to the invention has been illustrated in the drawing and described above and that many changes can be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: Height-adjustable leg (1) for supporting a table top or a like object, said leg comprising an outer leg portion (2) in which an inner leg portion (3) is telescopically slidable, means being present to lock the leg portions in respect to each other, said means comprising a knob housing (5) engaging the inner surface (4) of said outer leg portion (2) at a fixed place and accomodating a knob (6) which by means of a spring (9) is pressed towards said inner surface (4) where an aperture (10) in the outer leg portion (2) is present, which knob (6) can be pressed inwardly and is provided with a part for cooperating with recesses (16) provided in opposite edges (15) of a slot (14) in said inner leg portion (3), characterized in that said knob housing (5) is fixed to the inner surface (4) of said outer leg portion (2), said knob (6) being received in the aperture (10) in the outer leg portion (2) in such a way that the outer surface (11) of it coincides with the outer surface (12) of the outer leg portion (2), said knob (6) being connected to a pin (7) provided with a circular head (8) having a larger diameter than said pin (7) and located outside the knob housing (5) and being pressed against this by said spring (9) being provided on said pin (7), in which position said head (8) is located in two opposite recesses (16) with a corresponding shape and located in a partition (13) in the interior of the inner leg portion (3), through which slot the pin (7) can pass when the knob (6) is pressed inwards so that the head (8) of the pin (7) will disengage said recesses (16) and the leg portions (2,3) can be slid in relation to each other. Leg according to claim 1, characterized in that the knob housing (5) is fixed on the inner surface (4) of the outer leg portion (2) by means of bonding. Leg according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a small clearance is present between the walls of said leg portions (2,3), a number of spaced apart sliding blocks (20) of plastic bridging said clearance and being mounted on the outer wall (19) of the inner leg portion (3).

Inventors: STEENSTRA WILLEM, STEENSTRA, WILLEM
Applicants: KONINK AHREND N V, KONINKLIJKE AHREND N.V.
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A47B9
IPC codes: A47B9