Wire management arrangement for a furniture support

• US 20060081156A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Krueger International Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Krueger International Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, Scott J., Gayhart, Jon W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,191,713 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 108/50.20
• 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

Abstract

A table or desk unit includes a worksurface and leg structure, and a wire management arrangement located below the worksurface. The wire management arrangement includes upper and lower wire management members that support wires or cables for providing power and/or communication capability to items or equipment on the worksurface, and front and rear access covers which are movable between open and closed positions for providing access to the upper and lower wire management members. The rear access cover is configured to provide access to the lower wire management member, and engages the upper wire management member when in the closed position. A portion of the upper wire management member above the rear access cover is exposed, to mount power outlets that can be accessed from the rear of the worksurface. The front access cover is engaged with the worksurface when in the closed position, and is configured to provide access to both the upper and lower wire management members when in the open position. A wire cover member is releasably engageable with the leg structure, and includes an internal passage that receives wires or cables. The wire cover member includes a lower end received within an upwardly facing recess formed in a foot member forming a part of the leg structure, and an upper end that extends into an opening in one of the wire management members for supplying power or communication wiring thereto. An adjustable height support assembly is engaged with the foot member, for adjusting the worksurface height. The support assembly includes an upper adjustment member threadedly engaged within a receiver associated with the foot member, and a lower adjustment member threadedly engaged with the upper adjustment member. The upper and lower adjustment members include engagement structure which locks the upper and lower adjustment members together when the lower adjustment member is extended to a predetermined position. Subsequent rotation of the lower adjustment member rotates the upper and lower adjustment members together, to provide a telescoping construction for adjusting the height of the worksurface.

Claims

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19. A support for a desk having a worksurface, comprising:

a foot member;

an upstanding leg member secured to and extending upwardly from the foot member;

a worksurface support member secured to the leg member at a location above the foot member, wherein the worksurface is adapted for engagement with the worksurface support member; and

a wire cover member defining an internal passage, wherein the wire cover member is located exteriorly of the upstanding leg member and wherein wires are adapted to be received in the internal passage of the wire cover member, wherein the wire cover member is configured to conceal the wires between the foot member and the worksurface support member.

20. The support of claim 19, wherein the wire cover member is releasably engaged with upstanding leg member.

21. The support of claim 20, wherein the wire cover member comprises a channel member defining a pair of spaced apart edges, and wherein the wire cover member is releasably engaged with the leg member via a clip member secured to the leg member that is configured to releasably engage the edges of the channel member.

22. The support of claim 21, wherein the channel member and the leg member are configured such that the edges of the channel member cooperate with an external surface of the leg member to define an internal passage within which the wires are received.

23. The support of claim 19, wherein the foot member includes a recess within which a lower end of the wire cover member is adapted to be received, and wherein the wire cover member is releasably engaged with the leg member at a location above the foot member.

24. The support of claim 23, further comprising a wire management member located below the worksurface and having an internal area within which wiring for the desk us located, and wherein the wire cover member defines first and second spaced apart ends and includes an opening located toward the first spaced apart end, wherein the wire cover member is adapted to be positioned in either a first position in which the first end is received within the recess of the foot member and the second end is positioned to extend into the internal area of the wire management member, wherein the opening toward the first end of the wire cover member is located so as to receive wires from a location adjacent a support surface such as a floor, or a second position in which the second end of the wire cover member is received within the recess of the foot member and the first end is positioned to extend into the internal area of the wire management member.

25. The support of claim 24, wherein the wire cover member includes a pair of spaced apart edges, and wherein the wire cover member is releasably engaged with the leg member above the foot member via a clip member secured to the leg member and having a configuration that cooperates with the wire cover member to releasably engage the spaced apart edges of the wire cover member.

26. In a table or desk unit including a worksurface and a leg structure for supporting the worksurface above a supporting surface such as a floor, wherein the leg structure includes a foot member and an upstanding leg member extending upwardly from the foot member, and wherein the table or desk unit further includes a wire management arrangement located below the worksurface, the improvement comprising a wire cover member extending between the foot member and the wire management arrangement, wherein the wire cover member is located externally of the leg member and defines an internal passage for routing wires from a location adjacent the foot member upwardly to the wire management arrangement.

27. The improvement of claim 26, wherein the wire cover member defines a channel-shaped cross-sectional configuration and is position to cooperate with at least one external surface of the leg member to define the internal passage.

28. The improvement of claim 27, further comprising releasable engagement structure interposed between the leg member and the wire cover member for releasably securing the wire cover member to the leg member.

29. The improvement of claim 28, wherein the releasable engagement structure comprises a clip member secured to the leg member, wherein the clip member is configured to releasably engage a pair of spaced apart areas defined by the wire cover member upon application of a push-on force to the wire cover member, and wherein the clip member is further configured to release engagement with the spaced apart areas of the wire cover member upon application of a pull-off force to the wire cover member.

30. The improvement of claim 29, wherein the foot member defines an upwardly facing recess adjacent the leg member, and wherein the wire cover member defines a lower end adapted for engagement within the upwardly facing recess of the foot member.

31. The improvement of claim 30, wherein the wire management arrangement defines an internal area adapted to receive wiring associated with the table or desk unit, and includes an opening in communication with the internal area, wherein the wire cover member defines an upper end adapted to be received within the opening of the wire management arrangement to enable wires to pass from the internal passage of the wire cover member into the internal area of the wire management arrangement.

32. The improvement of claim 31, wherein the wire cover member defines spaced apart first and second ends and a recess located adjacent the first end, wherein the wire cover member is adapted to be positioned in either a first position in which the first end of the wire cover member is engaged within the recess defined by the foot member and the second end of the wire cover member is positioned within the opening of the wire management arrangement to enable infeed wiring to extend into the internal passage of the wire cover member from the lower end of the wire cover member, or a second position in which the second end of the wire cover member is engaged within the recess defined by the foot member and the first end of the wire cover member is positioned within the opening of the wire management arrangement.

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