US 5,174,223 · Granted 1992-12-29
The Adjustable Desk That Lets You Sit, Stand, and Shift All Day
Imagine a desk setup that actually moves with your body instead of forcing you into one uncomfortable position. This 1992 patent covers an entire workstation—desk, stool, footrest, and keyboard tray—that adjusts up and down so you can sit, stand, or find that perfect sweet spot in between without wrecking your back and wrists.
The plain-English version
What it protects
The claim covers a complete adjustable computer workstation system where the main platform rises and falls on an upright support, the stool seat height adjusts independently, the footrest moves to match whatever height you choose, and crucially, the keyboard tray tilts and shifts in multiple directions with a padded elbow rest built in. What's protected here is the specific combination of these four interconnected adjustable pieces working together as one ergonomic unit.
Why it matters
In the early 1990s, repetitive strain injuries from computer work were becoming a major workplace health issue. This patent staked out the idea of a fully integrated adjustable workstation that lets users customize their posture rather than adapt their bodies to a fixed desk. It represented a shift toward ergonomic thinking in office furniture design and laid groundwork for standing desks and dynamic workspace concepts that are now standard in modern offices.
Real-world use
When you walk into a modern office and see someone at a desk that can raise up so they can stand for part of the day, or adjust the keyboard tray to a comfortable angle, you're looking at the direct descendant of this patent's core idea.
Original USPTO abstract
An ergonomically designed computer workstation includes a computer stand, stool, footrest assembly, and keyboard and forearm support assembly being adjustable so that the workstation can accommodate users in various sitting and standing positions. The stand has a base member, an upright member supported by the base member for vertical movement, and a planar platform mounted by the upright member in a horizontal plane to provide a support surface for a variety of computer equipment. The stool includes a stationary base and a seat with a back for supporting a user thereon. The stool can be adjusted to vertically move the seat away from or toward the base to position the seat at a desired elevation. The footrest assembly is mounted to the base member of the stand and can be adjusted to and positioned at a desired elevation corresponding to the desired elevation selected for the stand platform and stool in order to permit the user to assume an ergonomically proper position at the stand and on the stool. The keyboard and forearm support assembly is mounted within a cutout region of the stand platform and adjustable in selected angular and height positions for supporting a computer keyboard and a user's forearms and wrists at a selected one of a range of angles of inclination and selected height relative to a horizontal plane. A soft elbow support pad is mounted along an edge of the support assembly.
Patent details
- Publication number
- US 5,174,223
- Filing date
- 1991-09-30
- Grant date
- 1992-12-29
- Assignee
- Nagy Marta K / Foris Victor G
- Inventor(s)
- NAGY; MARTA K., FORIS; VICTOR G.
- CPC class
- A47B83/001
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