Table and lectern furniture system

• US 10,292,490 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2017
• Issued: 05/21/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Battey, David J., Eisner, Jake, Holstege, Cody Jay, Skibinski, Michael, Corcorran, Sean M., Elms, Timothy, Coffey, Jeffrey, Kong, Duck Young, Kincaid, Brett Robert, Schoolmeester, Mark William, Oberwelz, Elger, Overthun, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V
• Application Number:
  US15/650,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20170311713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 108 5001, 108 5002, 108 5011, 108 60, 108 61, 108 94, 108 49
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/065 Pivotally mounted auxiliary tables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 19/02 Church pulpits ; Stands for lecturers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0071 Booth like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0085 Supplementary support fixed on the edge of a desk or table
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0088 Appliance support having rotary joint or articulated connection
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/12 Vanity or modesty panels
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 41/00 School desks or tables attaching to floor A47B91/08
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 41/02 Adjustable, inclinable, sliding or foldable desks tops
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 41/06 Holders or supports for guiding copy-books, slates, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 81/00 Cabinets or racks specially adapted for other particular purposes, e.g. for storing guns or skis
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/00 Combinations comprising two or more pieces of furniture of different kinds
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/04 Tables combined with other pieces of furniture
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26

Abstract

A table assembly comprising a top member forming a substantially flat top surface circumscribed by an outer edge and at least a first leg support member supporting the top member in a substantially horizontal position, a table dock secured to the top member and forming an elongated channel having a dock length dimension and at least a first display panel circumscribed by a panel edge and having at least one straight edge having a panel length dimension, the dock length dimension less than panel length dimension, wherein at least a portion of the straight edge of the panel is receivable within the dock channel with the panel extending out the open first and second ends of the channel to support the panel in a substantially upright orientation with at least a portion of the display panel extending to a height above the flat top surface.

Claims

1. A table assembly comprising:

a table top member and at least a first leg support member, the table top member forming a substantially flat top surface at a table height, the table top member including oppositely facing front and rear edge portions, the leg support member supporting the top member in a substantially horizontal position;

a notch formed in the rear edge portion of the table top member; and

a shelf member supported by at least one of the leg support member and the top member within a space below the notch at a shelf height that is lower than the table height, the shelf member circumscribed by a rim member comprising a substantially vertical wall member, the rim member extending upwardly around the edge of shelf member to form a shallow box-like receiving space that is upwardly open.

2. The table assembly of claim 1, wherein the shelf member is substantially horizontal and is provided in a shelf assembly comprising a vertically extending support wall extending between the shelf member and the table top member.

3. The table assembly of claim 2, wherein the shelf assembly is an integral component formed from a bent sheet metal.

4. The table assembly of claim 2, wherein the shelf assembly includes a mounting plate coupled to the support wall, the mounting plate comprising a flat rigid plate member that forms an elongated edge and that forms a plurality of mounting holes.

5. The table assembly of claim 4, wherein the support wall extends from the elongated edge of the mounting plate substantially perpendicular to the mounting plate and forms an obtuse angle with the mounting plate.

6. The table assembly of claim 5, wherein the shelf assembly is mounted to the undersurface of the table top member with an elongated edge of the mounting plate adjacent and generally parallel to the edge portion that forms the notch in the table top member such that the shelf member resides at least partially below the notch space.

7. The table assembly of claim 4, wherein the shelf member extends from the bottom edge of the support wall to a side of the support wall opposite the side to which the mounting plate extends and generally parallel to the mounting plate.

8. The table assembly of claim 4, wherein the shelf assembly mounts to the undersurface of table top member via fasteners that pass through mounting holes.

9. The table assembly of claim 1 wherein the shelf member is sized and dimensioned to accommodate at least one of a briefcase, a book bag, and a computer.

10. The table assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a lectern support subassembly mounted to the table top member and extending upward to an upper end at a lectern height above the table height;

a substantially flat lectern member having oppositely facing top and bottom surfaces and circumscribed by a lectern member edge, the bottom surface of the lectern member supported at the upper end of the lectern support assembly for movement between a plurality of different juxtapositions including at least a first juxtaposition where at least a portion of the lectern member resides outside and to a front edge side of a space column disposed above the table top and defined by the outer edge of the table top and a second juxtaposition where at least a portion of the lectern member resides outside and to a rear edge side of the space column, and wherein at least a portion of the lectern member resides above the shelf member when the lectern member is in the first juxtaposition, and wherein at least a portion of the lectern member resides above the shelf member when the lectern member is in the first juxtaposition.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the lectern support subassembly includes an arm assembly having upper and lower ends, the lower end mounted to the top member for pivotal rotation about a first vertical axis, the upper end of the arm assembly at a second height above the first height, the bottom surface of the lectern member mounted to the distal end of the arm assembly for pivotal rotation about a second vertical axis that is spaced apart from the first vertical axis by the arm assembly, wherein the arm assembly pivots with respect to the first vertical axis and the lectern member pivots with respect to the second vertical axis to move the lectern member between the first and second juxtapositions.

12. A table assembly comprising:

a table top member supported by a leg support member in a substantially horizontal position at a table height, the table top member including oppositely facing front and rear edge portions and oppositely facing first and second edge portions;

a notch formed in and extending partway along one of the front and the rear edge portion of the table top member and opening to one of the first and second sides; and

a shelf member supported within a space below the notch at a shelf height that is lower than the table height, wherein the shelf member is circumscribed by a rim member comprising a substantially vertical wall member, the rim member extending upwardly around the edge of the shelf member to form a shallow box-like receiving space that is upwardly open.

13. The table assembly of claim 12, wherein the shelf member is substantially horizontal and is provided in a shelf member assembly comprising a vertically extending support wall extending between the shelf member and the table top member.

14. The table assembly of claim 13, wherein the shelf member is sized and dimensioned to accommodate at least one of a briefcase, a book bag, and a computer.

15. A table assembly comprising:

a table top member supported in a substantially horizontal position at a table height, the table top member including oppositely facing front and rear edge portions and oppositely facing first and second edge portions;

a notch formed in one of the front and the rear edge portion of the table top member; and

a shelf member supported within a space below the notch at a shelf height that is lower than the table height, the shelf member circumscribed by a rim member comprising a substantially vertical wall member, the rim member extending upwardly around the edge of shelf member to form a shallow box-like receiving space that is upwardly opens.

16. The table assembly of claim 15, further comprising:

a lectern support subassembly mounted to the table top member and extending upward to an upper end at a lectern height above the table height;

a substantially flat lectern member having oppositely facing top and bottom surfaces and circumscribed by a lectern member edge, the bottom surface of the lectern member supported at the upper end of the lectern support assembly for movement between a plurality of different juxtapositions including at least a first juxtaposition where at least a portion of the lectern member resides outside and to a front edge side of a space column disposed above the table top and defined by the outer edge of the table top and a second juxtaposition where at least a portion of the lectern member resides outside and to a rear edge side of the space column, and wherein at least a portion of the lectern member resides above the shelf member when the lectern member is in the first juxtaposition, and wherein at least a portion of the lectern member resides above the shelf member when the lectern member is in the first juxtaposition.

17. The table assembly of claim 16, wherein the lectern positionable over the shelf member, wherein a user can simultaneously access materials positioned on the lectern and on the shelf member.