FURNITURE WITH CABLE CHANNEL

• US 20100024687A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Werndl AG (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: Preiss, Jürgen
• Granted Patent: US 8,061,279 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

Abstract

An improved item of furniture, especially a table with a cable channel, is characterized by the following features: on a mounting device there are base bodies lying offset from one another and positioned in the longitudinal direction of the cable channel. On each of the base bodies there is a support rail, each pivotable around a rotating axis, between a cabling position hanging down and a support position facing it and extending at least for the most part parallel to the cable channel, in the operating position the cable channel is raised up so far that the rotating axis lies underneath the cable channel. An abutment, lying offset from the rotating axis, is constructed on the support rails, wherein the cable channel in the dropped cabling position directly or indirectly rests on the abutment in a lower lying plane relative to the raised operating position.

Claims

1. Furniture, especially a table with a cable channel, comprising the following features:

the cable channel is adjustable between a raised operating position and a, in relation to the latter, lowered cabling position, characterized by the following further features;

base bodies lying offset from one another in 10 the longitudinal direction of the cable channel are provided on a mounting device,

on the base bodies in each case a support rail can be pivoted in each case around a rotating axis between a dropped cabling position and a support position running relative thereto at least substantially parallel to the cable channel,

in the operating position the cable channel is raised so far that the rotating axis lies underneath the cable channel, and

lying offset from the rotating axis, an abutment is constructed on the support rails, wherein the cable channel in the dropped cabling position directly or indirectly rests on the abutment in a lower lying plane relative to the raised operating position.

2. Furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that the support rails running pivoted in the operating or support position parallel to the cable channel are held at least indirectly by means of a fixing device, preferably a ratchet or clamp mechanism on the lower face of the cable channel.

3. Furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that recesses are provided in the cable channel through which the support rail and/or, dependent upon the situation of the cable channel, a part of the base body also extends, so that the cable channel is adjustable along the support rail between a raised operating position and a dropped cabling position.

4. Furniture according to claim 3, characterized in that the longitudinal and/or transverse dimension of the support rail is limited so that it approximately corresponds to the longitudinal or transverse dimension of the recesses in the cable channel to generate a friction effect.

5. Furniture according to claim 3, characterized in that the support rail at least on a longitudinal and/or at least on a transverse side, preferably on at least two opposite-lying longitudinal and/or two opposite-lying transverse sides is provided with a corrugation, wherein a friction effect can be generated when the cable channel is raised or lowered relative to the support rail.

6. Furniture according to claim 5, characterized in that the support rail passes through the opening of the cable channel approximately centrally.

7. Furniture according to claim 3, characterized in that the support rail passes through the opening of the cable channel approximately off-centre, so that an overturning moment is introduced on the support by the weight of the cable channel

8. Furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that the respective rotating axis of a support rail is aligned transversely to the longitudinal direction of the cable channel, so that the associated support rail can be pivoted in the longitudinal direction of the cable channel and can be fixed on its lower face.

10. Furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that rattling prevention is also provided, preferably in the form of a spring mechanism, whereby the support rail is held by the pre-tension created by the spring mechanism at least at a slight distance relative to the cable channel.

11. Furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that the base body comprises a fixing lug, with which it can be suspended in a corresponding first recess formed in the base body.

12. Furniture according to claim 11, characterized in that the base body is equipped with a fastening part, which comprises a fixing lug, which in the anchorage position on the mounting device engages into a second recess on a side of the mounting device, which lies opposite the first recess formed on the other side of the mounting device, into which the fixing lug of the base body engages.

13. Furniture according to claim 10, characterized in that the fastening part is connected in an articulated way to the base body, preferably by means of a joint or a hinge, preferably an articulated or film hinge.

14. Furniture according to claim 10, characterized in that the fastening part can be fixed on the associated base body by means of a screw connection preferably a knurled thumb screw while fixed to the mounting device.

15. Furniture according to claim 1, characterized in that the mounting device comprises a mounting piece running parallel to the cable channel.

9. Furniture according to claim, characterized in that the support rail on its free end, lying opposite the rotating axis, is provided with a closing clip.