Work space wire management system

• US 5,130,494 A
• Filed: 01/10/1990
• Issued: 07/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated
• Inventors: Grant, Michael, Stasko, Mark G., Simonton, Ronald
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tone, David A.
• Application Number:
  US07/463,337
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 174/48, 174/49, 174/65 G, 174/153 G, 312/194, 312/195, 312/223, 312/327, 312/328, 108/23, 108/50, 108/150, 52/36
• US Class Current: 174/500
• 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

The invention is for a furniture article having a panel mounted adjacent to a rear side of a top of the article and adapted for movement toward the front of the furniture article thereby allowing access to space rearward of the furniture article from a position beneath the top.

Claims

1. An article of furniture having a generally horizontal work surface, said article comprising a top having front and rear sides and opposite ends, a member depending from said top, and a panel pivotably mounted to said member adjacent said rear side of said top for movement between a first position wherein said panel restricts access to space rearward of said article from a position beneath said top and a second position wherein said panel permits access to space rearward of said article from a position beneath said top, said panel being movable in a direction toward said front side of said article as said panel is pivoted toward said second position.

2. An article of furniture according to claim 1 wherein said member is a support member for said top, said support member at least partially defining a knee space beneath said top and between said opposite ends thereof, said panel partially defining said knee space when said panel is in the first position and pivotable into said knee space as said panel is pivoted toward said second position.

3. An article of furniture according to claim 2 wherein said support member is mounted adjacent to one of said opposite ends of said top, said article further comprising a rail mounted on said support member and extending between said opposite ends of said top beneath the same, said panel being pivotably mounted to said rail for pivotable movement between said first and second positions.

4. An article of furniture according to claim 3 and further comprising a latch for releasably fastening said panel in said first position.

5. An article of furniture according to claim 4, wherein said latch is mounted on said top.

6. An article of furniture according to claim 3 wherein two of said support members are mounted to said top at said opposite ends thereof, said knee space being at least partially defined by and between said support members, said rail being mounted to and between said support members at lower portions thereof.

7. An article of furniture according to claim 6 wherein at least one hinge is mounted to and between said rail and said panel to effect pivotable movement of said panel into said knee space between said first and second positions of said panel.

8. An article of furniture according to claim 7 and further comprising a latch for releasably fastening said panel in said first position.

9. An article of furniture according to claim 8, wherein said latch is mounted on said top.

10. In a grommet for an article of furniture having an interior space and a panel separating the interior space of said article from the exterior thereof, said panel having an opening therein for communication between the interior and exterior, said grommet being adapted to be received in said opening, the improvement in said grommet comprising:

a sleeve adapted to be received within the opening; and

a cover removably mounted to the sleeve to cover the opening, said cover comprising a closure member pivotally mounted thereto, said closure member having a pair of opposed walls connected by a web thereby defining a channel for conducting wires therethrough between the interior and the exterior.

11. In a grommet for an article of furniture having an interior space and a panel separating the interior space of said article from the exterior thereof, said panel having an aperture therein for communication between the interior and exterior, said grommet being adapted to be received in said aperture, the improvement in said grommet comprising:

a sleeve having a passage therethrough, said sleeve being adapted to be received within the aperture; and

a cover removably received within the sleeve to at least partially cover the passage, said cover having a top wall and a recessed base wall spaced from the top wall by a side wall, said base wall and said side wall at least partially defining an opening beneath the top wall and substantially concealed from view thereby to permit wires to pass therethrough between the interior and the exterior when the grommet is received within the aperture.

12. A grommet according to claim 11 wherein the cover has a wall portion complementary in shape to the sleeve and adapted to be slidably received within the sleeve.

13. A grommet according to claim 12 wherein a portion of said sidewall is offset from the remainder of said sidewall and said offset portion partially defines said opening.

14. A grommet according to claim 13 wherein the recessed base wall includes a section removably connected thereto adjacent the contiguous opening whereby the contiguous opening can be enlarged when the section is removed.

15. A grommet according to claim 14 wherein the section is connected to the recessed portion by a frangible connection.

16. An article of free standing furniture having a generally horizontal work surface, the article comprising:

a horizontal panel supported by two support members and a vertical panel extending therebetween, said horizontal panel, vertical panel and support members at least partially defining an interior space and separating said interior space of the article from the exterior thereof; and

wire management means for conducting electrical wires to electrical components associated with said article, said wire management means comprising a grommet mounted to the horizontal panel and defining an opening therethrough for communication between the interior space and the exterior and a channel mounted within the interior space to one of the vertical panel and the horizontal panel substantially in registry with the grommet;

said vertical panel being mounted to the support members for pivotable movement into the interior space.

17. An article of furniture according to claim 16 wherein the grommet comprises a sleeve mounted to said panel and defining the opening therethrough;

and

a cover removably mounted to the sleeve to cover the opening.

18. An article of furniture according to claim 17 wherein the cover comprises a closure member pivotally mounted thereto, said closure member having a pair of opposed walls connected by a web thereby defining a channel for conducting wires therethrough.

19. An article of furniture according to claim 17 wherein the cover has a wall portion complementary in shape to the sleeve and adapted to be slidably received within the sleeve.

20. An article of furniture according to claim 19 wherein the cover comprises a recessed portion connected angularly to a first wall, said first wall and said recessed portion having a contiguous opening to form the opening means.

21. An article of furniture according to claim 20 wherein a portion of said first wall is offset from the remainder of said first wall and said offset portion partially defines said contiguous opening.

22. An article of furniture according to claim 21 wherein the recessed portion includes a section removably connected thereto adjacent the contiguous opening whereby the contiguous opening can be enlarged when the section is removed.

23. An article of furniture according to claim 22 wherein the section is connected to the recessed portion by a frangible connection.

24. An article of furniture according to claim 21 wherein the cover comprises a second wall angularly connected to said first wall at said offset portion and spaced from said contiguous opening to partially define the opening means and substantially conceal the opening means from view when the cover is mounted to the sleeve.

25. An article of furniture according to claim 16 further comprising a latch for releasably fastening the panel in the first position.

26. A grommet for conducting electrical wiring from the interior of an article of furniture to the exterior thereof, said grommet comprising:

a sleeve having a passage therethrough along an axis;

a cover having a wall partially defining an opening therein, said cover being removably received within the sleeve with the wall substantially normal to the axis and thereby at least partially covering the passage; and

a member extending from said wall adjacent to the opening so that the member and the opening can be oriented relative to the sleeve, about the axis, to at least partially obscure the opening from view without obstructing the opening into the passage.

27. A grommet according to claim 26 wherein the member is pivotally mounted to the wall.

28. A grommet according to claim 26 wherein the wall is recessed in the cover, and the member extends above and over the opening.

29. A grommet according to claim 26 wherein the wall includes a section removably connected thereto adjacent the opening.

30. A grommet according to claim 29 wherein the section is connected to the wall by a frangible connection.