Patent Description:
The displacement and positioning of a desktop device of this kind by being fully lifted is unergonomic, particularly in the case of larger and heavier devices. If space is limited it might even be impossible, in some circumstances, to fully lift the device or to position hands appropriately.

Furthermore, with use of rollers or similar elements, the resistance to slipping or a change in position is completely lost, or additional brakes have to be provided, which have to be actuated in addition.

In this regard document <CIT> describes an electrical device in which a high and a low position of a stopping foot or a sliding foot can be adjusted by means of a lifting mechanism of the device.

On this basis, it is the objective underlying the invention to provide a device of the kind described in the introduction, which can be positioned slip-free on a supporting surface and in addition can be displaced easily on the supporting surface.

This objective is achieved by a device having the features of claim <NUM>. Further embodiments are specified in the corresponding dependent claims and will be described hereinafter.

According to claim <NUM>, a device is disclosed, which comprises at least one first device foot. It is provided here that the at least one first device foot comprises a first element and a second element, wherein the device can be arranged on the supporting surface (for example a table or a table surface) in an operating position such that a contact area of the first element contacts the supporting surface, and wherein the device can be tilted, starting from the operating position, into a transport state, in which a contact area of the second element of the at least one first device foot contacts the supporting surface and spaces the first element (or contact area thereof) from the supporting surface, and wherein the contact area of the second element has a lower frictional resistance (in particular a lower sliding friction or static friction) relative to the supporting surface than the contact area of the first element of the at least one device foot.

According to the invention, it is particularly envisioned that the device has a housing, wherein that the first element of the at least one first housing foot forms a protrusion projecting from a bottom side of a base of the housing, and the first element has two legs arranged at an angle to one another.

Particularly, the first element may thus have an L-shaped or angled profile.

In the case of the present invention the device thus can be displaced and positioned in an easy manner simply by being tilted, for example at a grip or other handle, with significantly reduced expenditure of force - compared to complete lifting. Here, it is advantageous that there is no need for an additional functional element, which directly or indirectly changes the slip properties by means of actuation.

In particular, in accordance with one embodiment, the invention provides, on the at least one first foot device, a stepped region or a second element with heavily reduced friction or rolling properties, which is arranged such that, when the device is tilted, easy sliding and positioning of the device is made possible. In this way, desktop devices, which in the normal operating position are slip-resistant, can be easily displaced and positioned by one-sided lifting or tilting.

Suitable materials or material groups for the first elements (or contact area thereof) and/or the second element (or contact area thereof) can be anti-slip materials, such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) or synthetic rubbers, or sliding materials, such as polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), PC-ABS blends or other, harder plastics or metals. In one embodiment, a combination of PC-ABS with TPE-U (urethane-based thermoplastic elastomer) is used.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is provided that the contact area of the first element is designed as a (in particular non-rotating) standing area.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is provided that the contact area of the second element is formed as a sliding area. The sliding area has a lower frictional resistance (see also above) relative to the supporting surface as compared to the standing area, and therefore the device can slide better on the sliding area than on the standing area, which is designed to be relatively slip-proof and is intended to provide the device with resistance against slipping.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the second element is formed as a curved skid.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the housing surrounds an electrical circuit of the device. Particularly, the device feet (and in particular any further standing feet) are fixed to the housing, in particular to a base of the housing.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the second element of the at least one first device foot forms a protrusion projecting from the housing.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that this protrusion is connected integrally to the housing or is an integral part of the housing.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the second element of the at least one first device foot is arranged at a distance from the first element. The first and the second element thus in other words form a device foot in the form of a double foot and are arranged here preferably adjacently to one another and thus form a functional unit or the at least one first device foot.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the first element of the at least one first device foot is arranged on the bottom side of the base of the housing of the device, wherein the second element extends starting from the bottom side, beyond the base, at least in some sections on a housing portion, wherein the housing portion runs inclined towards the base and adjoins the base. Said housing portion is arranged here in particular on a rear wall of the housing of the device or forms a transition from the base to the rear wall of the housing of the device.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the second element is designed to form a supporting point of the device on the supporting surface when the device is tilted from the operating position into the transport state, wherein the device being tilted or tiltable about said supporting point.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the first element of the at least one first device foot has a through-opening, which receives a screw of the device. By means of the screw, the first device foot for example can be fixed at the housing and/or generally two (or more) components of the device can be connected to one another.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the device or desktop device is an electrical device and/or a medical device. The medical device can be a programming device for implantable cardiac pacemakers and/or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the device has a second device foot, which is opposite the at least one first device foot, wherein the second device foot also has a first element and a second element, wherein the two elements of the second device foot each have a contact area, wherein the device in the operating position can be arranged on the supporting surface such that the contact areas of the first elements contact the supporting surface, and wherein the device, starting from an idle position, can be tilted into the transport state, in which the contact areas of the second elements contact the supporting surface and the first elements are distanced from the supporting surface, and wherein the contact areas of the second elements have a lower frictional resistance than the contact areas of the first elements.

The second device foot, more specifically, for its part can be formed in accordance with one of the embodiments described above in context with the first device foot.

Basically, the device can have any number of device feet.

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the first device foot and in particular also the second device foot are arranged on the base of the housing adjacently to a rear wall of the housing, such that the device can be tilted from the operating position into the transport state by lifting the front side of the housing, opposite the rear side, such that the contact faces of the first elements are distanced from the supporting surface and the contact areas of the second elements contact the supporting surface (and enable a corresponding displaceability of the device).

In accordance with one embodiment of the device it is also provided that the device - apart from the at least one first or the first and the second device foot - has further standing feet, which for example are arranged on the bottom side of the base of the housing. In accordance with one embodiment, the device has two standing feet, such that the device in the operating position rests on the two device feet, in particular on the first elements of the device feet, and the two standing feet, and therefore the device in the tilted transport state contacts the supporting surface via the second elements of the device feet, wherein the first elements and the standing feet are distanced from the supporting surface.

Further advantages, features and embodiments of the present invention will be explained hereinafter with reference to the drawings, in which:.

<FIG> in context with <FIG> shows a first example of a device <NUM>, which in particular is a desktop device, particularly a medical desktop device <NUM>. The device <NUM> according to <FIG> has a first and a second device foot <NUM>, wherein each device foot <NUM> has a first element <NUM> and a second element <NUM>. <FIG> shows a perspective view of the two elements <NUM>, <NUM> of such device foot <NUM>. The device <NUM>, on account of the two device feet <NUM> and in particular on account of two further standing feet <NUM> (see <FIG>), which are provided on the base <NUM> adjacently to the front side <NUM> of the device <NUM> or the housing <NUM>, can be arranged in an operating position flat on a planar supporting surface U, which is formed here by a table, such that the contact areas 101a of each first element <NUM> (and the standing feet <NUM>) contact the supporting surface U. Proceeding from this operating position, in which the device <NUM> is usually operated, the device <NUM> can be tilted into a transport state (here for example by lifting the front side <NUM> of the device <NUM>), which is shown in <FIG>, wherein in this transport state the contact area 102a of each second element <NUM> contacts the supporting surface U, and the first elements <NUM> and the standing feet <NUM> are distanced from the supporting surface U. Since the contact areas 102a of the second elements <NUM> have a lower frictional resistance (in particular a lower sliding friction and/or static friction) relative to the supporting surface U than the contact areas 101a of the first elements <NUM>, the device <NUM> in the transport state can be easily displaced, wherein the contact areas 102a of the second elements form sliding areas which reduce the friction relative to the supporting surface U.

As can be seen in particular with reference to <FIG>, it is preferably provided that the respective second element <NUM> projects in the form of a protrusion from a corresponding first element <NUM>. Here, it is provided in particular that the respective second element <NUM> projects from an edge region 102d of the corresponding first element <NUM> and at the same time is connected integrally to the associated first element <NUM>. The higher slip resistance of the first elements <NUM> can be provided in that each first element <NUM> is formed from an anti-slip material (for example an elastomer). Alternatively, the higher slip resistance of each first element <NUM> can be produced by a coating of the first elements <NUM> with an anti-slip material (for example an elastomer).

As can also be seen in <FIG>, the respective second element <NUM> in particular is designed to form a supporting point of the device <NUM> on the supporting surface when the device <NUM> is tilted from the operating position into the transport state, about which supporting point the device <NUM> is tilted or tiltable. In the transport state merely the second elements <NUM> or the contact areas 102a thereof contact the supporting surface U according to <FIG>, whereas the first elements <NUM> are distanced from the supporting surface U. In the operating position, by contrast, the second elements <NUM> do not contact the supporting surface U (see <FIG>).

Furthermore, the respective first element <NUM> according to <FIG> has a through-opening <NUM>, which receives a screw <NUM> of the device <NUM>. The respective through-opening <NUM> can be arranged adjacently to the corresponding second element <NUM>.

For example, the respective device foot <NUM> can be fixed to the housing <NUM> by means of the corresponding screw <NUM>. Furthermore, the respective screw <NUM> can also be used in principle to connect two or more components of the device <NUM> to one another.

Claim 1:
A device (<NUM>) comprising at least one first device foot (<NUM>), wherein the at least one first device foot (<NUM>) comprises a first element (<NUM>) and a second element (<NUM>), wherein the device (<NUM>) can be arranged on the supporting surface (U) in an operating position, such that a contact area (101a) of the first element (<NUM>) contacts the supporting surface (U), and wherein the device (<NUM>) can be tilted, starting from the operating position, into a transport state, in which a contact area (102a) of the second element (<NUM>) of the at least one device foot (<NUM>) contacts the supporting surface (U) and spaces the first element (<NUM>) from the supporting surface (U), and wherein the contact area (102a) of the second element (<NUM>) has a lower frictional resistance than the contact area (101a) of the first element (<NUM>),
characterized in that
the device (<NUM>) has a housing (<NUM>), the first element (<NUM>) forms a protrusion projecting from the bottom side (3a) of the base (<NUM>) of the housing (<NUM>), and the first element (<NUM>) has two legs (101b, 101c) arranged at an angle to one another.