Electric sit-stand workstation with display support apparatus

Abstract

In one respect, the invention of the present application is an electric sit-stand workstation comprising a stationary column and a height adjustment assembly including an attached worksurface and at least one display support assembly adapted to support at least one electronic display therefrom, wherein the height of the height adjustment assembly with respect to the stationary column is electrically adjustable. Alternate embodiments of sit-stand workstations and methods of using said workstations are also disclosed.

1 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A support apparatus that is supported by and extends from a support surface, the support apparatus comprising:
 a base plate that is adapted to rest on the support surface;   a column that is fixed to the base plate and that extends upwardly from the base plate and support surface, the column having a height; and   a height adjustment assembly that is electrically height-adjustable along at least a portion of the height of the column with respect to the support surface, the height adjustment assembly comprising a monitor position column having a height and at least one display support assembly that is attached to the monitor position column, the at least one display support assembly being adapted to support a first electronic display therefrom;   a worksurface attached to the monitor position column, the worksurface having a top surface that extends outwardly in a generally horizontal plane from the monitor position column; and   a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein at least one desired position of the height adjustment assembly with respect to the at least a portion of the height of the column may be programmed into the PCB as at least one programmed position.   
     
     
         22 . The support apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein a height position of the at least one display support assembly is adjustable along at least a portion of the height of the monitor position column. 
     
     
         23 . The support apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a first support beam assembly attached to the monitor position column via a first hinge, the first support beam assembly comprising a first beam member and the at least one display support assembly, the first hinge being rotatable about a first generally vertical axis such that a rotational position of the first beam member is adjustable with respect to the monitor position column, the at least one display support assembly being rotatable about a second generally vertical axis with respect to the first beam member. 
     
     
         24 . The support apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the height adjustment assembly further comprises a second support beam assembly attached to the monitor position column via a second hinge, the second support beam assembly comprising a second beam member and at least one additional display support assembly that is attached to the second beam member, the at least one additional display support assembly being adapted to support a second electronic display therefrom, the second hinge being rotatable about a third generally vertical axis such that a rotational position of the second beam member is adjustable with respect to the monitor position column, the at least one additional display support assembly being rotatable about a fourth generally vertical axis with respect to the second beam member. 
     
     
         25 . The support apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein a height position of the first support beam assembly is adjustable along at least a portion of the height of the monitor position column and a height position of the second support beam assembly is adjustable along at least a portion of the height of the monitor position column. 
     
     
         26 . The support apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the first hinge is adapted to permit the first beam member to be rotated no more than approximately 45 degrees rearwardly with respect to a front face of the column and no more than approximately 20 degrees frontwardly with respect to the front face of the column, and the second hinge is adapted to permit the second beam member to be rotated no more than approximately 45 degrees rearwardly with respect to the front face of the column and no more than approximately 20 degrees frontwardly with respect to the front face of the column. 
     
     
         27 . The support apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a motor and a control button panel, the motor and control button panel being electrically connected to the PCB, the control button panel including at least one button that may be pressed to send a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly to the at least one programmed position. 
     
     
         28 . The support apparatus of  claim 27 , further comprising a display screen adapted to display the at least one programmed position. 
     
     
         29 . The support apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a motor and a control button panel, the motor and control button panel being electrically connected to the PCB, the control button panel including an up button and a down button, wherein when:
 the up button is pressed when the height adjustment assembly is located below the at least one programmed position, the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly to the at least one programmed position; and   the down button is pressed when the height adjustment assembly is located above the at least one programmed position, the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly to the at least one programmed position.   
     
     
         30 . The support apparatus of  claim 29 , further comprising an upper limit switch and a lower limit switch, the upper limit switch and lower limit switch being electrically connected to the PCB, wherein when:
 the up button is pressed when the height adjustment assembly is located above the at least one programmed position, the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly upwardly until the upper limit switch is depressed, causing the upper limit switch to send a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to stop movement of the height adjustment assembly; and   the down button is pressed when the height adjustment assembly is located below the at least one programmed position, the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly downwardly until the lower limit switch is depressed, causing the lower limit switch to send a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to stop movement of the height adjustment assembly.   
     
     
         31 . The support apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising a motor, a control button panel, and a lower limit switch, the motor, control button panel, and lower limit switch being electrically connected to the PCB, the control button panel including an up button and a down button, wherein when:
 the up button is pressed when the height adjustment assembly is located below the at least one programmed position, the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly to the at least one programmed position; and   the down button is pressed when the height adjustment assembly is located above the at least one programmed position, the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly downwardly until the lower limit switch is depressed, causing the lower limit switch to send a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to stop movement of the height adjustment assembly.   
     
     
         32 . The support apparatus of  claim 31 , further comprising an upper limit switch that is electrically connected to the PCB, wherein when the up button is pressed when the height adjustment assembly is located above the at least one programmed position, the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly upwardly until the upper limit switch is depressed, causing the upper limit switch to send a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to stop movement of the height adjustment assembly. 
     
     
         33 . A method of operating a support apparatus that is supported by and extends from a support surface, the support apparatus comprising a base plate that is adapted to rest on the support surface, a column that is fixed to the base plate and that extends upwardly from the base plate and support surface, the column having a height, a height adjustment assembly that is electrically height-adjustable along at least a portion of the height of the column with respect to the support surface, at least one display support assembly attached to the height adjustment assembly, the at least one display support assembly being adapted to support a first electronic display therefrom, a worksurface, the worksurface being attached to the height adjustment assembly and having a top surface that extends outwardly in a generally horizontal plane from the height adjustment assembly, and a printed circuit board (PCB), the method comprising:
 programming at least one desired position of the height adjustment assembly with respect to the at least a portion of the height of the column into the PCB as at least one programmed position.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , the support apparatus further comprising a control button panel that is electrically connected to the PCB, the control button panel including an up button and a down button, wherein the step of programming at least one desired position of the height adjustment assembly with respect to the at least a portion of the height of the column into the PCB as at least one programmed position further comprises pressing the down button until the height adjustment assembly is moved to a lower terminal position along the height of the column, pressing the up button until the height adjustment assembly has been moved to the at least one desired position along the height of the column, and pressing the up button and down button simultaneously to save the at least one desired position in the PCB as the at least one programmed position. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , the support apparatus further comprising a motor, the motor being electrically connected to the PCB, the method further comprising the step of pressing the up button when the height adjustment assembly is located below the at least one programmed position such that the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly to the at least one programmed position. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34 , the support apparatus further comprising a motor, the motor being electrically connected to the PCB, the method further comprising the step of pressing the down button when the height adjustment assembly is located above the at least one programmed position such that the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly to the at least one programmed position. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33 , the height adjustment assembly comprising a height, wherein a position of the at least one display support assembly along the height of the height adjustment assembly is adjustable, the method further comprising adjusting the position of the at least one display support assembly along the height of the height adjustment assembly, such that the distance between the at least one display support assembly and the top surface of the worksurface is adjusted. 
     
     
         38 . A method of operating a support apparatus that is supported by and extends from a support surface, the support apparatus comprising a base plate that is adapted to rest on the support surface, a column that is fixed to the base plate and that extends upwardly from the base plate and support surface, the column having a height, a height adjustment assembly that is electrically height-adjustable along at least a portion of the height of the column with respect to the support surface, at least one display support assembly attached to the height adjustment assembly, the at least one display support assembly being adapted to support a first electronic display therefrom, a worksurface, the worksurface being attached to the height adjustment assembly and having a top surface that extends outwardly in a generally horizontal plane from the height adjustment assembly, a printed circuit board (PCB) adapted to store at least one desired position of the height adjustment assembly with respect to the at least a portion of the height of the column therein as at least one programmed position, a control button panel that is electrically connected to the PCB, the control button panel including at least one button, and a motor that is electrically connected to the PCB and control button panel, the method comprising pressing the at least one button, such that if at least one programmed position has been programmed into the PCB and the height adjustment assembly is not in the at least one programmed position, the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly to the at least one programmed position. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , the control button panel having an up button and a down button, the method further comprising:
 pressing the up button when the height adjustment assembly is located below the at least one programmed position, such that if at least one programmed position has been programmed into the PCB, the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly to the at least one programmed position; or   pressing the down button when the height adjustment assembly is located above the at least one programmed position, such that if at least one programmed position has been programmed into the PCB, the control button panel sends a signal to the PCB to send a signal to the motor to electrically adjust the height adjustment assembly to the at least one programmed position.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38 , the height adjustment assembly comprising a height, wherein a position of the at least one display support assembly along the height of the height adjustment assembly is adjustable, the method further comprising adjusting the position of the at least one display support assembly along the height of the height adjustment assembly, such that the distance between the at least one display support assembly and the top surface of the worksurface is adjusted.