Ultra-thin lifting table

Abstract

An ultra-thin lifting table includes a lower platform, an upper platform, a movable brace, and a gas-assisted extension strut. The upper platform is located above the lower platform and configured to move up and down with respect to the lower platform. The movable brace includes an inner frame and an outer frame that are crossed and pivotally connected. The inner and outer frames are nested together and installed between the upper and lower platforms. Pivot of the inner and outer frames drives the upper platform to move up and down with respect to the lower platform. The gas-assisted extension strut provides gas-assisted thrust and is pivotally connected between the inner and outer frames for generating a lifting force when the inner and outer frames have an angle of cross therebetween. Thereby, when folded down, the inner and outer frames are horizontally placed between the upper and lower platforms.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ultra-thin lifting table, comprising:
 a lower platform;   an upper platform, being located above the lower platform and configured to move up and down with respect to the lower platform, and having a folded-down position and at least one folded-up position;   a movable brace, comprising an inner frame and an outer frame that are crossed and pivotally connected to each other, the inner and outer frames being nested together and installed between the upper and lower platforms, the inner and outer frames each having two ends thereof slidably connected to the lower platform and the upper platform, respectively, so that pivot performed by the inner and outer frames drives the upper platform to move up and down with respect to the lower platform, the inner frame or the outer frame being pivotally provided with at least one positioning link pivotally linked to the lower platform or the upper platform to get positioned, so that the movable brace is allowed to pivot and slide with a travel of the positioning link, the inner frame comprising two inner-frame props and an inner-frame transverse bar connected to ends of the two inner-frame props, the outer frame comprising two outer-frame props and an outer-frame transverse bar connected to ends of the two outer-frame props, the two inner-frame props being crossed and pivotally connected to the two outer-frame props, respectively; the inner frame including an upper inner-frame segment and a lower inner-frame segment bordered at where the inner-frame props are crossed and pivotally connected to the two outer-frame props, the outer frame including an upper outer-frame segment and a lower outer-frame segment bordered at where bordered at where the inner-frame props are crossed and pivotally connected to the two outer-frame props, the upper inner-frame segment having a length equal to a length of the upper outer-frame segment, the lower inner-frame segment having a length equal to a length of the lower outer-frame segment, and the length of the upper inner-frame segment being greater than or smaller than the length of the lower inner-frame segment, so that when the inner frame and the outer frame are both parallel to the lower platform, the upper platform is in the folded-down position and parallel to the lower platform, and when the inner frame and the outer frame have an angle of cross therebetween, the upper platform is in the folded-up position and parallel to the lower platform; and   a gas-assisted extension strut, providing a gas-assisted thrust and being pivotally connected between the inner and outer frames, for forming a lifting force when the inner and outer frames have an angle of cross therebetween;   wherein, the inner frame and the outer frame has an identical unit thickness, and when the upper platform is in the folded-down position, the inner and outer frames are nested together and parallel to the lower platform so that the movable brace has an overall thickness that is equal to one said unit thickness.   
     
     
         2 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 1 , wherein the lower platform has a surface thereof depressedly formed with a lower accommodating space of the unit thickness, so that when the upper platform is in the folded-down position, the inner frame and the outer frame are horizontally placed in the lower accommodating space. 
     
     
         3 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 2 , wherein the upper platform is greater than the lower platform in terms of area, and the upper platform has a bottom surface thereof depressedly formed with an upper accommodating space of at least the unit thickness, so that when the upper platform is in the folded-down position, the lower platform is received in the upper accommodating space. 
     
     
         4 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 1 , wherein the gas-assisted extension strut has two ends thereof pivotally connected to the upper inner-frame segment and the outer frame lower end, respectively, or pivotally connected to the lower inner-frame segment and the upper outer-frame segment, respectively. 
     
     
         5 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 1 , wherein the positioning link comprising at least one lower positioning link and at least one upper positioning link, the lower outer-frame segment is pivotally provided with the lower positioning link, and the lower positioning link is further pivotally connected to the lower platform to get positioned, while the upper inner-frame segment is pivotally provided with the upper positioning link, and the upper positioning link is further pivotally connected to the upper platform to get positioned. 
     
     
         6 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 1 , wherein each of the inner-frame props has its lower end connected to a lower inner guide track on a top surface of the lower platform through an inner lower slide shaft, and each of the inner-frame props has its upper end connected to an upper inner guide track on a bottom surface of the upper platform through an inner upper slide shaft, while each of the outer-frame props has its lower end connected to a lower outer guide track on the top surface of the lower platform through an outer lower slide shaft, and each of the outer-frame props has its upper end connected to an upper outer guide track on the bottom surface of the upper platform through an outer upper slide shaft, in which the lower inner guide track, the upper inner guide track, the lower outer guide track, and the upper outer guide track are parallel to each other, and when the upper platform is in the folded-down position, the lower inner guide tracks are inside the upper outer guide tracks while the upper inner guide tracks are inside the lower outer guide tracks. 
     
     
         7 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 6 , wherein the length of the upper inner-frame segment is smaller than the length of the lower inner-frame segment, and the inner-frame transverse bar is defined as the inner lower slide shaft while the outer-frame transverse bar is defined as the outer lower slide shaft. 
     
     
         8 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 7 , wherein the gas-assisted extension strut has one end thereof pivotally connected to the outer-frame transverse bar, and an opposite end thereof pivotally connected to the upper inner-frame segment. 
     
     
         9 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 7 , wherein a positionally adjustable retaining member is set in a moving route of any one of the inner lower slide shaft, the inner upper slide shaft, the outer lower slide shaft, and the outer upper slide shaft, in which the retaining member is adjusted to limit a range the corresponding slide shaft is allowed to slide, thereby limiting an angle the inner and outer frames are allowed to expand, and in turn limiting a maximum height where the upper platform is allowed to be lifted to. 
     
     
         10 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 9 , wherein the retaining member is set in the moving route of the inner lower slide shaft, and located at the top surface of the lower platform, in which the retaining member has a raised retaining portion for retaining the inner-frame transverse bar, and two parallel slots each for a positioning piece to pass therethrough and be screwed into the top surface of the lower platform, thereby adjustably fixing the retaining member to the top surface of the lower platform. 
     
     
         11 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 9 , wherein the retaining member is set in the moving route of the inner lower slide shaft, and is located in one of the lower inner guide tracks, in which the retaining member is configured to slide with respect to the lower inner guide track and to engage with an adjustable positioning piece, so as to fix a relative position of the retaining member in the lower inner guide track, thereby retaining the inner lower slide shaft when the retaining member is fixed. 
     
     
         12 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 11 , wherein the lower inner guide track is laterally formed with a slot, and the inner lower slide shaft has an extension portion jutting out of the slot, while the positioning piece passes through the slot from outside to engage with the retaining member, in which the positioning piece is coupled with a rotatable hook for hooking the extension portion to fix the relative position between the retaining member and the inner lower slide shaft. 
     
     
         13 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 12 , wherein a scale is provided at an outer side of the lower inner guide track for expressing a height of the folded-up position, and an indicator is extended outward from the retaining member to be aligned with the scale. 
     
     
         14 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 9 , wherein the inner and outer frames are crossed and pivotally connected through a cross pivot, and the cross pivot further has a buffering member, in which the buffering member is located between the inner and outer frames so that when the inner and outer frames pivot are almost parallel to the lower platform, the buffering member receive pressure and provides a buffering force. 
     
     
         15 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 14 , wherein the gas-assisted extension strut comprises an outer rod and an inner rod that are telescoped for extension and retraction, and a spring member is further mounted around the inner rod to provide a return force after receiving a pressure. 
     
     
         16 . The ultra-thin lifting table of  claim 15 , wherein the upper platform has its two sides further provided with projecting handles for convenient grip and operation.