Desk with concealed wire storage

• US 4,948,205 A
• Filed: 03/08/1989
• Issued: 08/14/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sligh Furniture Co (Lexington Holding, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sligh Furniture Co (Lexington Holding, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kelley, James O.
• Primary Examiner(s): ASCHENBRENNER, PETER
• Application Number:
  US07/320,701
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 108/143, 108/50, 312/208, 312/196, 312/223
• US Class Current: 312/196
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/064 with power rail running along the back of the desk top and projecting upwards
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/066 with power or communication connection interface
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/06 characterised by means for holding, fastening or concealing cables
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0081 Auxiliary apparatus with electrical connections for office furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0085 Supplementary support fixed on the edge of a desk or table
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 96/067 Horizontal rails as suspension means in a cantilever arrangement suspension fittings for cabinets to be hung on walls A47B95/008

Abstract

A desk and a half-wall are combined to make the space within the wall available for the storage of wires and equipment associated with devices in use on or adjacent the desk. The half-wall extends above the desk top, and has a slot traversed by the wires leading out to the devices. Brackets that also traverse the slot can be used to support the devices well above the desk surface. The inner panels forming the half-wall are adapted to support shelves under the desk.

Claims

1. An article of furniture having a top providing a work surface, wherein the improvement comprises;

a half-wall structure extending above said work surface and defined by horizontally spaced parallel inner and outer panels forming at least one side of said article of furniture, and providing a storage space between said panels;

a cover movably secured to said half-wall structure and forming a top closure for said storage space, said inner panel having a horizontal access slot between said work surface and said cover;

accessory bracket means for supporting desk accessories above the surface of the desk, the accessory bracket means being mounted in the storage receptacle and extending through the slot to support the desk accessories; and

terminal means for supporting the accessory bracket means by engagement with coupling means on the accessory bracket means, the terminal means being secured to the interior of said half-wall structure opposite said slot, the terminal means having a hook portion opening downwardly, and said coupling means having a mating hook portion engageable with said terminal hook portion in an upwardly rotated position of said coupling means hook portion, said coupling means also having an adjustable abutment extendable after engagement of said terminal and mating hook portions to prevent back-rotation of said bracket means toward a disengaging position.

2. An article of furniture as defined in claim 1, wherein said terminal means additionally has a fixed abutment engageable by said coupling means on the opposite side of said hook portion from said adjustable abutment means.

3. An article of furniture having a top providing a work surface, wherein the improvement comprises:

a half-wall structure extending above said work surface and defined by horizontally spaced parallel inner and outer panels forming at least one side of said article of furniture, and providing a storage space between said panels;

a cover movably secured to said half-wall structure and forming a top closure for said storage space, said inner panel having a horizontal access slot between said work surface and said cover;

accessory bracket means for supporting desk accessories above the surface of the desk, the accessory bracket means being mounted in the storage receptacle and extending through the slot to support the desk accessories; and

terminal means for supporting the accessory bracket means by engagement with coupling means on the accessory bracket means, the terminal means being secured to the interior of said half-wall structure opposite said slot, said accessory bracket means being at least partially supported by the portion of said half-wall structure defining the bottom of said slot.

4. An article of furniture as defined in claim 3, wherein said terminal means is a continuous member extending opposite the full length of said slot.

5. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure, the half wall forming at least one outer side of the desk, the half wall comprising outer and inner vertical panels spaced apart by spacers positioned between the panels, the outer panel forming the outer side of the desk and wall structure and serving to identify a half wall boundary of a corridor, the inner panel forming the inner side of the half wall, the desk comprising a generally horizontal desk top attached at one edge to the half wall and supported thereby, the inner and outer panels of the half wall extending upwardly from the desk top to upper edges forming an upper end of the half wall positioned above the desk top, the upper end being covered by an openable top, the inner panel having an inwardly facing longitudinal slot therein adjacent the top at an openable portion thereof, the half wall having a storage receptacle between the outer and inner panels that is accessible through the top and the slot, the receptacle extending the length of the half wall structure such that electrical wiring can be conveyed the length of the half wall structure through the storage receptacle, the desk and half wall structure having the appearance of a desk abutting a half wall, with electrical wiring being easily accessible to the desk top through the inwardly facing slot and openable top in the half wall structure.

6. An article of furniture as defined in claim 5, wherein the cover is pivotally mounted on the top of the outer panel, and the top of said slot is defined by said cover in the closed position thereof.

7. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 5, wherein the inner panel of the half wall extends downwardly from its upper edge at least to the desk top, the half wall further including a lower inner panel running longitudinally along the half wall structure at a point below the desk top, the lower inner panel being spaced from the outer panel by spacers and attached thereto in a fixed position, the lower inner panel having an upper edge, an article supporting shelf being removably mounted and laterally slidable on the upper edge of the lower panel by means of a hook that extends from the shelf over the top of the lower panel.

8. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 5, wherein the storage receptacle has a floor recessed below the level of the desk top, at least one multi-socket electrical outlet being positioned on the floor of the storage receptacle, wiring for electrically operated desk-mounted products exiting the wiring receptacle by the slot, the wiring being removable by opening the top of the half wall, the top being pivotally mounted on the outer wall, pivotal opening of the top serving to open the storage receptacle and the top of the slot.

9. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 5, wherein the spacers are vertical beams, the spacers extending upwardly toward the top of the half wall but being recessed downwardly from the top of the half wall to permit electrical wires to pass over the spacers and under the top when the top is closed.

10. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 9, wherein the desk and half wall structure us formed in discrete modules attached side-by-side, such that the half walls of each module are aligned, thus further enhancing the half-wall appearance, the spacers being positioned at each side edge of each section, the desk and half wall sections being attached together by removable fasteners that interconnect the spacers of adjacent sections.

11. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 5 and further comprising accessory bracket means releasably mounted in the interior of the storage receptacle by bracket mounting means and extending therefrom outwardly through the longitudinal slot, the portion of the accessory bracket means extending out of the slot serving to support desk accessories off the surface of the desk.

12. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 11, wherein the bracket mounting means comprises a terminal mounting strip attached to an inside surface of the outer panel and running longitudinally along the panel opposite the slot in the inner panel, the mounting strip having a contoured surface facing the slot the engages and mates with a coupling on an inner end of the bracket means, the bracket means being supported by engagement between the coupling and the mounting strip, the bracket means being slidable along the mounting strip so as to be supportable at different positions along the slot.

13. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 12, wherein the mounting strip includes an inwardly and then downwardly extending flange that extends longitudinally along the mounting strip, and the coupling includes an outwardly and then upwardly extending hook that fits in the mounting strip behind the mounting strip flange, the flange holding the bracket means in position and restraining the bracket means from pivoting downwardly in the mounting strip when the bracket means is in a mounted position in the mounting strip.

14. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 13, wherein the hook fits behind the flange and is disengagable from the mounting strip when the coupling is pivoted upwardly, the hook engaging the flange when the coupling is pivoted downwardly to the point where the bracket means is in its mounted position, the flange restraining the bracket means against pivoting downwardly past its mounted position.

15. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 14, wherein a lower portion of the hook rests on an offset portion of the mounting strip when the bracket means is in its mounted position, the offset portion providing support against vertical and pivoted movement of the bracket means.

16. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 15, wherein the coupling comprises a locking screw rotatably mounted in the coupling so as to be extendible into contact with the mounting strip at a position such that the force of the locking screw holds the brackets in its mounted position, the screw being retractable to dismount the bracket means from the mounting strip.

17. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 11 wherein the accessory bracket means is at least partially supported by the lower edge of the slot in the inner panel.

18. A combination free standing desk and half wall structure according to claim 17 wherein this accessory bracket means is separated from the lower edge of the slot by a wear resistant pad mounted on the accessory bracket means.

19. An article of furniture as defined in claim 10, wherein said modules have at least one floor panel below said cover, said floor panel terminating in spaced relationship from at least one of said spacer beams to provide vertical continuity of the space within said half-wall structure.