Table with elongated groove having apertures

• US 10,492,601 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2017
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daniel Joseph Mirth, Sarah Elizabeth-Carpenter Mirth
• Original Assignee: Daniel Joseph Mirth, Sarah Elizabeth-Carpenter Mirth
• Inventors: Mirth, Sarah Elizabeth-Carpenter, Mirth, Daniel Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hanh V
• Application Number:
  US15/687,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20180055216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/16 Holders for glasses, ashtrays, lamps, candles or the like forming part of tables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/04 characterised by means for holding or fastening typewriters or computer equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0082 Cable inlet in worktop or desk, e.g. grommet
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/0077 Lighting for furniture, e.g. cupboards and racks
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 23/06 characterised by association with auxiliary devices, e.g. line indicators, leaf turners, lampholders, book or page holdersspot indicators, leaf turners, per se B42D9/00

Abstract

A work table for securely holding accessories that has a groove spanning a portion of the tabletop, wherein any number of tech products and other accessories can be supported. The groove runs between the side ends of the tabletop and provides a variation of mounting locations preferably on opposite sides of the lateral axis, thus having no presupposed configuration for where tech products or accessories should be supported within the groove. There is a series of apertures within the groove that allow for easy cable pass through at any point therein. Additionally, the table has a cable grid below the tabletop that allow a user to removably attach tech product chargers, power strips, or other accessories directly below the work top for easy accessibility through the series of apertures.

Claims

1. A table for securely holding accessories and for working, comprised of:

a tabletop comprised of a top surface, a bottom surface, a front end, a back end, and a pair of side ends, wherein the tabletop has a thickness between the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein the tabletop has a width between the pair of side ends, wherein the tabletop has a depth between the front end and the back end, and wherein the tabletop is further comprised of a central lateral axis extending from the front end to the back end equidistant between the pair of side ends;

a plurality of legs connected to and supporting the tabletop;

a groove in the top surface extending for a length between a first end and a second end, wherein the groove is spaced inwardly from the front end, the back end, and the pair of side ends, wherein the groove comprises a bottom trough between a pair of sidewalls, wherein the sidewalls are spaced from each other by a groove width, wherein the bottom trough is positioned below the top surface by a recessed depth, and wherein the recessed depth is no greater than the thickness of the tabletop; and

a plurality of apertures within the groove, wherein each one of the apertures comprise a lateral aperture width and a longitudinal aperture length, wherein the lateral aperture width is approximately equal to the groove width at the bottom trough, wherein the longitudinal aperture length is greater than the lateral aperture width and the groove width, wherein each one of the apertures extends from the bottom trough through to the bottom surface of the tabletop, wherein a first set of the apertures are proximate to the first end in the groove and have a first spacing, wherein a second set of the apertures in the groove are spaced a distance apart from the first set of apertures and are proximate to the second end, and wherein the bottom trough connects the pair of sidewalls along the length of the groove at the bottom surface of the tabletop between each one of the apertures.

2. The table of claim 1 further comprising an additional groove in the top surface, wherein the additional groove is spaced apart from the groove with the first and second sets of apertures and is comprised of a third set of apertures.

3. The table of claim 2, wherein the additional groove with the third set of apertures is spaced on an opposite side of the lateral axis from the groove with the first and second sets of apertures.

4. The table of claim 1, wherein the sidewalls extend the recessed depth from the top surface for a part of the thickness of the tabletop towards the bottom surface to the bottom trough, wherein the bottom trough is integrally formed in the tabletop between the recessed depth and the bottom surface, wherein the first spacing of the apertures is approximately equal to the longitudinal aperture length.

5. The table of claim 1, wherein the groove is comprised of a slot in the tabletop and a slot bracket mounted to the tabletop, wherein the slot bracket forms the bottom trough of the groove and connects the pair of sidewalls, wherein the slot extends the thickness of the tabletop from the top surface to the bottom surface, and wherein the apertures are formed in the slot bracket.

6. The table of claim 1, wherein the distance between the second set of apertures and the first set of apertures is the same as the first spacing between the apertures in the first set of apertures, wherein the apertures provide a plurality of accessory mounting positions within the groove, and wherein the accessory mounting positions have a plurality of optional arrangements within the groove.

7. The table of claim 1, further comprising a cable grid and a fastener, wherein the cable grid is comprised of a front face, a back face, and an array of apertures, wherein the fastener extends through the array of apertures and removably secures a section of at least one of the accessories to at least one of the front face and the back face, and wherein the cable grid is attached to at least one pair of the plurality of legs beneath the bottom surface of the tabletop.

8. The table of claim 1, wherein the length of the groove is greater than the depth of the tabletop, wherein the back end of the tabletop is further comprised of an elongated notch having a cut-in distance similar to the groove width and a span on the same order of magnitude as the length of the groove.

9. The table of claim 1 further comprised of a mounting bracket and a fastener, wherein the mounting bracket is inserted through at least one of the apertures and is secured below the tabletop with the fastener.

10. The table of claim 9, wherein the table is further comprised of at least one of a desk, conference table, a side table, an end table, and a night stand, wherein one of the accessories is removably affixed to the tabletop by the mounting bracket and the fastener, and wherein the accessories are at least one of the accessories comprising a light, a shelf, a monitor mount, a cable stop, a pencil tray, and a writing board.

11. A table for securely holding accessories and for working, comprised of:

a tabletop comprised of a top surface, a bottom surface, a front end, a back end, and a pair of side ends, wherein the tabletop has a thickness between the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein the tabletop has a width between the pair of side ends, wherein the tabletop has a depth between the front end and the back end, and wherein the tabletop is further comprised of a central lateral axis extending from the front end to the back end equidistant between the pair of side ends;

a plurality of legs connected to and supporting the tabletop;

a first groove in the top surface extending for a first length between a first end and a second end, wherein the first groove is spaced inwardly from the front end, the back end, and the pair of side ends, wherein the first groove has a first bottom trough between a pair of first groove sidewalls, wherein the first groove sidewalls are spaced from each other by a first groove width, wherein the first groove bottom trough is positioned below the top surface by a first recessed depth, and wherein the first recessed depth is less than the thickness of the tabletop; and

a first set of apertures within the first groove, wherein the first set of apertures extend from the bottom trough through to the bottom surface of the tabletop, wherein a first aperture is proximate to the first end, wherein a second aperture is spaced apart from the first aperture and is proximate to the second end, wherein a plurality of apertures are spaced between the first aperture and the second aperture, wherein each one of the apertures in the first set of apertures comprise a first lateral aperture width and a first longitudinal aperture length, and wherein the first lateral aperture width is approximately equal to the first groove width at the bottom trough wherein the first longitudinal aperture length is greater than the first lateral aperture width and the first groove width.

12. The table of claim 11 further comprising a second groove in the top surface extending for a second length between a second pair of ends and a second set of apertures within the second groove, wherein the second groove is spaced apart from the first groove and is spaced inwardly from the front end, the back end, the pair of side ends, wherein the second groove comprises a second bottom trough between a pair of second groove sidewalls, wherein the second groove sidewalls are spaced from each other by a second groove width, wherein the second bottom trough is positioned below the top surface by a second recessed depth, wherein the second recessed depth is less than the thickness of the tabletop, wherein the second set of apertures is comprised of a pair of apertures respectively proximate to the second pair of ends and at least one aperture between the pair of apertures, wherein each one of the apertures in the second set of apertures comprise a second lateral aperture width and a second longitudinal aperture length, wherein the second lateral aperture width is approximately equal to the second groove width at the second bottom trough, and wherein the second longitudinal aperture length is greater than the second lateral aperture width and the second groove width.

13. The table of claim 12, wherein the second groove is spaced on an opposite side of the lateral axis from the first groove.

14. The table of claim 12, wherein the first length of the first groove is greater than the depth of the tabletop.

15. The table of claim 12, wherein the first groove and the second groove are integrally formed with the tabletop, wherein the sidewalls of the first groove and the second groove respectively extend the first recessed depth and the second recessed depth from the top surface towards the bottom surface to the first bottom trough and the second bottom trough, wherein each one of the apertures in the first set of apertures and the second set of apertures further comprise a first spacing to an adjacent one of the apertures, wherein the first spacing between adjacent apertures in the first set of apertures is approximately equal to the first longitudinal aperture length, wherein the first spacing between adjacent apertures in the second set of a apertures is approximately equal to the second longitudinal aperture length.

16. The table of claim 12, wherein the first groove is comprised of a slot in the tabletop and a slot bracket mounted to the tabletop, wherein the slot extends the thickness of the tabletop from the top surface to the bottom surface, and wherein the first set of apertures are formed in the slot bracket.

17. The table of claim 11, wherein the first bottom trough connects the pair of first groove sidewalls along the length of the firt groove at the bottom surface of the tabletop between each one of the apertures.

18. A table for securely holding accessories and for working, comprised of:

a tabletop comprised of a top surface, a bottom surface, a front end, a back end, and a pair of side ends, wherein the tabletop has a thickness between the top surface and the bottom surface, wherein the tabletop has a width between the pair of side ends, wherein the tabletop has a depth between the front end and the back end, wherein the tabletop is further comprised of a central lateral axis extending from the front end to the back end equidistant between the pair of side ends;

a plurality of legs connected to and supporting the tabletop;

a groove in the top surface extending for a length between a first end and a second end, wherein the groove is spaced inwardly from the front end, the back end, and the pair of side ends, wherein the groove comprises a bottom trough positioned between a pair of sidewalls and located below the top surface by a recessed depth, wherein the sidewalls are spaced from each other by a groove width, wherein the first end and the second end are on opposite sides of the lateral axis, and wherein the length of the groove is greater than the depth of the tabletop; and

a plurality of apertures within the groove, wherein each one of the apertures comprise a longitudinal aperture length and a lateral aperture width, wherein the lateral aperture width is approximately equal to the groove width at the bottom trough, wherein the longitudinal aperture length is greater than the lateral aperture width and the groove width, wherein the apertures extend from the bottom trough through to the bottom surface below the groove, wherein a first set of apertures proximate to the first end have a first spacing, and wherein a second set of apertures are spaced apart from the first set of apertures and are proximate to the second end.

19. The table of claim 18, wherein the back end of the tabletop is further comprised of an elongated notch having a cut-in distance similar to the groove width and a span on the same order of magnitude as the length of the groove.

20. The table of claim 18, wherein the bottom trough connects the pair of sidewalls along the length of the groove at the bottom surface of the tabletop between each one of the apertures.