Spine assembly

• US 4,883,330 A
• Filed: 05/11/1988
• Issued: 11/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Knoll Incorporated (Millerknoll Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Knoll International, Inc. (Dixie Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: McClanahan, David D., Armstrong, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Falk, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US07/193,239
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 211/26, 403/171, 312/263, 312/264, 312/194, 312/195, 312/223, 312/257 R
• US Class Current: 312/195
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/001 Office desks or work-stations combined with other pieces of furniture, e.g. work space management systems

Abstract

A spine assembly for supporting dest tops and panels and acessories and providing for the passage of electrical wires to the desk tops and panels and accessories, as needed. A housing is utilized open at a bottom portion for receiving the electrical wires. A framework is included within the housing. One or more frameworks serve as supports for brackets which extend upwardly in turn to support panels and accessories. The framework also serves as a support for desk tops as well as a cover assembly. The cover assembly provides an opening through which electrical wires pass from the interior of the housing to the exterior thereof. In addition, brackets extend through the cover assembly for supporting panels and accessories above the cover assembly. The spine assembly is free-standing, and may be closed off by end panels as an individual item or joined to one or more other spine assemblies to create a system of furniture.

Claims

1. A spine system assembly for supporting desk tops and panels and accessories comprising a plurality of housings joined end-to-end to create an interconnected network of such housings each housing being open on the bottom and adapted to being free-standing and comprising a first and second framework each framework being defined by first and second upwardly extending supports said first and second upwardly extending supports being connected by an upper and lower transverse member, said first and second frameworks being connected by at least one pair of transverse members said transverse members connecting the upwardly extending support of one framework with the upwardly extending support of said second framework to form a housing said housing having a spaced apart substantially parallel side panels removably connected to each of said frameworks, said frameworks lying totally within the space between said side panels, said frameworks being spaced apart from each other to permit the unimpeded laying of electrical wiring within each housing, said housing having a means for attaching end panels and said housing having a means for connecting one or more housings to form a spine assembly said housing being adapted to connect a bracket for supporting a panel above said housing and said housing being adapted to support a cover assembly and a desktop on its upper surface.

2. A spine assembly as in claim 1, in which said housing is open at a bottom portion for receiving electrical wiring.

3. A spine assembly as in claim 1, in which said vertical structural support members include at the ends thereof, means for attaching one framework to another.

4. A spine assembly as in claim 1, in which said cover assembly includes a strip of rigid material bounded by flexible material which may be deformed to permit electrical wiring to pass from the interior of said housing to the exterior thereof.

5. A spine assembly according to claim 1 wherein said housing is supported by leveling guides.

6. A spine assembly according to claim 1 wherein said side panels are connected at their lower portion to said framework by a downwardly extending flange.

7. A spine assembly according to claim 1 in which said housing includes a top cover assembly said cover assembly including a strip of rigid material bounded by flexible material which may be deformed to permit said bracket to pass through to support a panel.

8. A spine assembly as in claim 7, in which said side panels extend from the bottom portion of said housing to below said cover assembly, and having secondary panels supported by said framework for bridging the gap between said side panels and said cover assembly.

9. A spine assembly as in claim 7 in which said cover assembly includes a strip of rigid material bounded along two opposed parallel edges by flexible material which may be deformed, the flexible material along one of said edges permitting the passage therethrough of said one or more brackets serving as support for an accessory above said spine assembly, the flexible material along the other of said edges permitting the passage of electrical wiring from the interior of said housing to the exterior thereof.

10. A spine assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first and second upwardly extending supports and said upper and lower transverse members are generally U-shaped in cross section with the open portion on the inner perimeter of said framework and having a flat base on the outer perimeter of the framework and wherein said transverse member connecting the first and second frameworks have first and second vertical members adapted to connect said upwardly extending supports of said frameworks.

11. A spine assembly for supporting desk tops and panels and accessories being open at the bottom and being adapted to be free-standing comprising a first and second framework each framework being defined by first and second upwardly extending supports said first and second upwardly extending supports being connected by an upper and lower transverse member, said first and second frameworks being connected by at least one pair of transverse members said transverse members connecting the upwardly extending support of one framework with the upwardly extending support of said second framework to form a housing said housing having a spaced apart substantially parallel side panels removable connected to each of said frameworks, said frameworks lying totally within the space between said side panels, said frameworks being spaced apart from each other to permit the unimpeded laying of electrical wiring within each housing, said housing having a means for attaching end panels and said housing having a means for connecting one or more housings to form a spine assembly said housing being adapted to connect a bracket for supporting a panel above said housing and said housing bring adapted to support a cover assembly and a desktop on its upper surface.

12. A spine assembly according to claim 11, wherein said side panels are connected to said framework by a downwardly extending flange.

13. A spine assembly according to claim 12, wherein sound deadening material is attached to said side panels.

14. A spine assembly according to claim 11 wherein a guide bracket is provided through said leveling guides to join a second housing.