Modular laboratory furniture assembly

• US 10,080,434 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bedco Division Of Gerodon Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bedco Division Of Gerodon Inc.
• Inventors: Bedard, Ron, Poirier, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US15/397,621
• Publication Number:
  US 20170295930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 108 5002, 108 5001, 108 64, 3122233, 3122235, 3122236, 52 362, 52 364, 522201, 522202
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 37/00 Tables adapted for other particular purposes glass cutting tables C03B33/03
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/04 Tables combined with other pieces of furniture
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A modular laboratory furniture assembly having a work surface with front legs and back leg members, each of the back leg members being configured for coupling to corresponding back leg members of a second work surface positioned in a back to back position to the back leg members and each being securable to two back leg members of the second work surface forming a combined vertical elongated service cavity therein.

Claims

1. A modular laboratory furniture assembly having a work surface having a front edge, a back edge, two opposing side edges, a top surface and a bottom surface and a subassembly positioned below the work surface and on which the work surface is mounted and supported, the subassembly having a back surface support and two opposing side surface supports and a pair of front legs, the system further comprising;

a pair of back leg members each selectively couplable to the subassembly proximate to opposing back corners of the subassembly proximate to the intersection of one of the side work surface supports and an end of the back work surface support, each back leg member having at least a back side, an outer side, a first end and an opposing second end and an entire vertical back leg length defined therebetween, and an elongated cavity along a length of the back leg member extending downward from a top end thereof and a portion of the outer side that is positioned facing outward from the side edge of the work surface and having an elongated vertical opening into the elongated cavity of each back leg member along at least a portion of entire vertical back leg length on the back side of the back leg member and at least a portion of the entire vertical back leg length of the outer side of the back leg member.

2. The furniture assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the back leg members is a first back leg member having a first elongated cavity and a first elongated vertical opening into the first elongated cavity along the entire vertical back leg length of a first back side and the entire vertical back leg length of a first outer side, further comprising a second back leg member and a securing fixture selectively securing the second back leg member to the first leg portion forming a back leg assembly, the second back leg member having at least a back side, an outer side, a first end and an opposing second end and an entire vertical back leg length defined therebetween, and a second elongated cavity and a portion of an outer side that is positioned facing outward from the side edge of the work surface, a second elongated vertical opening into the second elongated cavity along at least a portion of the entire vertical back leg length of outer side of the second back leg member and at least a portion of the entire vertical back leg length of the front side of the second back leg member, the second elongated cavity of the second back leg member combining with the elongated cavity of the first leg member to define a widened elongated back leg cavity with the selective securing fixture positioning the first elongated vertical opening into the first elongated cavity with the second elongated vertical opening into the second elongated cavity and having a widened elongated vertical side opening defined by their side by side first and second leg members and a combination of the first elongated vertical opening of the first back leg member and the second elongated vertical opening of the second back leg member.

3. The modular laboratory furniture system of claim 1, further comprising a mounting mechanism for mounting a lower end of vertical support members of an upper framework to a top portion of the back leg members.

4. The furniture assembly of claim 3 wherein each upper portion of at least one of the first or second back leg members of the back leg assembly on either side of the work surface includes a top cavity, and wherein each of the two vertical support members of the upper frame includes at least one extending mounting member configured to be received into the top cavity of at least one of the back leg members and wherein at least one of the upper vertical support members and one of the first or second back leg members of the back leg assembly includes the securing fixture for mounting the extending mounting member of the vertical support member thereto.

5. The furniture assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cavity cover dimensioned for selectively covering the vertical elongated cavity of the vertical opening of the back leg member.

6. The modular laboratory furniture system of claim 1, further comprising

a selectively attachable upper framework positionable above the back edge of the work surface, the upper framework having two opposing vertical support members supporting at least one horizontal member that extends between the two vertical support members, each vertical support member having a top end, a lower end, a vertical elongated cavity along its length, a cross-section that is about twice the size of a cross section of one of the back leg members, and an outward facing vertical elongated opening to the cavity, the cavity configured for receiving one or more utility distribution fixtures;

and

a mounting mechanism for mounting the lower end of the vertical support members of the upper framework to a top portion of the back leg members.

7. The furniture assembly of claim 6 wherein the vertical support member of the upper framework is mounted on the back leg assembly and attached thereto for supporting and securement of the upper framework above the back edge of the work surface;

wherein the back leg members of each of the first and second work surfaces are selectively coupled together to form a unified back to back work surface with the upper framework positioned above the back edge of the first work surface and the back edge of the second work surface.

8. The furniture assembly of claim 6, further comprising a cavity cover dimensioned for selectively covering the vertical elongated cavity of the upper framework and the combination of the first elongated vertical opening of the first back leg member and the second elongated vertical opening of the second back leg member.

9. The furniture assembly of claim 1 wherein each of the pair of back leg members on each opposing side of the work surface is a first back leg member, further comprising a pair of second back leg members each of which is coupled to a back portion of one of the first back leg members and forming a back leg assembly with the second back leg member, the second back leg member extending backward and outward from the back edge of the work surface, wherein an upper portion of each of the first and second back leg members includes a mounting mechanism for mounting the lower end of one of the vertical support members.

10. The furniture assembly of claim 1 wherein the back leg member is rectangular with rounded corners and further has a front substantially flat surface facing towards the front edge of the work surface, an inner substantially flat side surface facing inward toward the opposing side of the work surface, and the back side having the elongated vertical opening into the elongated cavity facing in the same direction of the back edge of the work surface.

11. The furniture assembly of claim 1 wherein the work surface, subassembly, the pair of front legs and the two back leg members are each a first work surface, a first subassembly and a first pair of front legs, and a first pair of back leg members, respectively, further comprising:

a second work surface, a second subassembly, a second pair of front legs and a second pair of two back leg members, the second work surface being oriented 180 degrees from the first work surface with the back edges of each work surface being positioned adjacent to each other,

wherein each of the pair of first and second back leg members has at least a portion of a leg-to-leg attachment fixture and wherein each back leg member is configured for parallel alignment and coupling of one of the pair of first back leg members of the first work surface to one of the pair of second back leg members of the second work surface for securement thereto.

12. The furniture assembly of claim 11 wherein each back leg member of the first pair of leg members and the second pair of leg members includes a portion of an outer side that is positioned facing away from the side edge of the work surface, and wherein the elongated vertical openings of each of the pair of first back leg members and each of the pair of second back leg members corresponding to a different one of each of the pair of the first back leg members are positioned proximate to each other forming a combined side by side elongated vertical outer side opening and a combined elongated cavity therebetween through the coupling of the two back leg members together.

13. The furniture assembly of claim 12, further comprising a cover dimensioned for selectively covering the combined side by side elongated vertical outer side opening of the combined first and second back leg members forming the back leg assembly and the elongated opening of the vertical support member mounted thereto.

14. The furniture assembly of claim 12 wherein each upper portion of each coupled leg members includes a top cavity, and wherein each of the two vertical support members of the upper frame includes at least one extending mounting member configured to be received into the top cavity of the back leg member and wherein at least one of the upper vertical support member and one of the first or second back leg members includes a securing fixture for mounting and securing the vertical member of the upper framework to the back leg member.

15. The furniture assembly of claim 12 wherein each upper portion of each coupled leg members includes a circular shaped top cavity and wherein each of the two vertical support members of the upper frame includes a pair of spaced apart extending tube members configured to be received into the circular cavities of each of the back leg members and wherein the first or second back leg members each includes a securing fixture for securing the extending tube members of the vertical member of the upper framework to the cavities of the back leg members after receiving of the extending tube members therein.

16. A modular laboratory furniture assembly comprising:

a first work surface having a first front edge, a first back edge, two opposing first side edges, a first top surface and a first bottom surface and a first subassembly positioned below the first work surface and on which the first work surface is mounted and supported, the first subassembly having a first back surface support and two opposing first side surface supports and a pair of first front legs, a pair of first back leg members each selectively couplable to the first subassembly proximate to opposing first back corners of the first subassembly proximate to the intersection of one of the first side work surface supports and an end of the first back work surface support, each first back leg member having at least a first back side, an first outer side, a first end and an opposing second end and an entire first vertical back leg length defined therebetween, and a first elongated cavity along a first length of the first back leg member extending downward from a first top end thereof and a portion of the first outer side that is positioned facing outward from the first side edge of the first work surface and having a first elongated vertical opening into the first elongated cavity of each first back leg member along at least a portion of entire vertical first back leg length on the first back side of the first back leg member and at least a portion of the entire first vertical back leg length of the first outer side of the first back leg member;

a second work surface having a second front edge, a second back edge, two opposing second side edges, a second top surface and a second bottom surface and a second subassembly positioned below the second work surface and on which the second work surface is mounted and supported, the second subassembly having a second back surface support and two opposing second side surface supports and a pair of second front legs, a pair of second back leg members each selectively couplable to the second subassembly proximate to opposing second back corners of the second subassembly proximate to the intersection of one of the second side work surface supports and an end of the second back work surface support, each second back leg member having at least a second back side, an second outer side, a second end and an opposing second end and an entire second vertical back leg length defined therebetween, and a second elongated cavity along a second length of the second back leg member extending downward from a second top end thereof and a portion of the second outer side that is positioned facing outward from the second side edge of the second work surface and having a second elongated vertical opening into the second elongated cavity of each second back leg member along at least a portion of entire vertical second back leg length on the second back side of the second back leg member and at least a portion of the entire second vertical back leg length of the second outer side of the second back leg member; and

a securing fixture selectively securing the second back leg member to the first leg portion forming a back leg assembly, the second elongated cavity of the second back leg member combining with the first elongated cavity of the first leg member to define a widened elongated back leg cavity with the selective securing fixture positioning the first elongated vertical opening into the first elongated cavity with the second elongated vertical opening into the second elongated cavity and having a widened elongated vertical side opening defined by their side by side first and second leg members and a combination of the first elongated vertical opening of the first back leg member and the second elongated vertical opening of the second back leg member.

17. The furniture assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

a selectively attachable upper framework positionable above the back edge of the work surface, the upper framework having two opposing vertical support members supporting at least one horizontal member that extends between the two vertical support members, each vertical support member having a top end, a lower end, a vertical elongated cavity along its length, a cross-section that is about twice the size of a cross section of one of the back leg members, and an outward facing vertical elongated opening to the cavity, the cavity configured for receiving one or more utility distribution fixtures; and

a mounting mechanism for mounting the lower end of the vertical support members of the upper framework to a top portion of the back leg members.

18. The furniture assembly of claim 17 wherein the vertical support member of the upper framework is mounted on the back leg assembly and attached thereto for supporting and securement of the upper framework above the back edge of the work surface.

19. The furniture assembly of claim 16 wherein each upper portion of at least one of the first or second back leg members of the back leg assembly on either side of the work surface includes a top cavity, and wherein each of the two vertical support members of the upper frame includes at least one extending mounting member configured to be received into the top cavity of at least one of the back leg members and wherein at least one of the upper vertical support members and one of the first or second back leg members of the back leg assembly includes the securing fixture for mounting the extending mounting member of the vertical support member thereto.

20. The furniture assembly of claim 16, further comprising a cavity cover dimensioned for selectively covering the vertical elongated cavity of the upper framework and the combination of the first elongated vertical opening of the first back leg member and the second elongated vertical opening of the second back leg member.