Adjustable support for overhead furniture units

• US 5,183,319 A
• Filed: 02/20/1992
• Issued: 02/02/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Development Inc.
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Pearson, Alan L., Baker, Richard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorner, Kenneth J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Gerald A.
• Application Number:
  US07/839,126
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• Field of Search: 248/188.4, 248/242, 312/198, 312/203, 312/196, 108/111, 108/101, 108/98
• US Class Current: 312/196
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/033 with parts added to the original furniture to enlarge its surface
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 77/02 General layout, e.g. relative arrangement of compartments, working surface or surfaces, supports for apparatus A47B77/08 takes precedence ; combinable furniture units A47B87/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/045 Tables combined with cabinets wall tables A47B5/00

Abstract

A system for leveling and securing an overhead cabinet to modular furniture including a pair of spaced posts, each post including a lower end adapted to connect to the modular furniture and an upper end adapted to connect to the overhead cabinet, the upper ends each including a pair of leveling screws so that the overhead cabinet can be both leveled and aligned with adjacent overhead cabinets.

Claims

1. A modular furniture unit, comprising:

a base unit;

at least one elongate upstanding post including a lower end engaging said base unit so that said post extends generally vertically, and further including an upper end having a laterally extending bracket, said laterally extending bracket having a forward portion and a rearward portion;

an overhead modular unit including a lower portion engaging said laterally extending bracket;

means spaced from said at least one upstanding post for supporting said overhead modular unit along with said at least one upstanding post;

leveling means located on said laterally extending bracket for adjusting the spacial orientation of said overhead modular unit relative to said base unit, said leveling means including separately adjustable first and second lift devices, said first device located on said forward portion and said second device located on said rearward portion for adjustably supporting said overhead modular unit, whereby said modular unit can be adjusted without manually lifting the overhead modular unit; and

attaching means for securely attaching said overhead modular unit to said at least one elongate upstanding post, whereby said overhead modular unit can be placed on said upstanding post, leveled, and secured to same without manipulating said upstanding post on the modular furniture unit, and whereby said overhead modular unit can be readily leveled by an installer without manually lifting and bearing the weight of the overhead unit.

2. A modular furniture unit as set forth in claim 1 including at least two of said posts.

3. A modular furniture unit as set forth in claim 2 wherein said leveling means includes a pair of leveling screws threadedly mounted in said laterally extending bracket in a generally vertical orientation, and being spaced apart, said leveling screws including free upper ends protruding through said laterally extending bracket and abuttingly supporting at least a portion of said overhead modular unit.

4. A modular furniture unit as set forth in claim 3 wherein said attaching means includes a pair of attachment screws extending through said laterally extending bracket into engagement with said overhead modular unit to securely interconnect same.

5. A modular furniture unit as set forth in claim 1 including two of said posts.

6. A modular furniture unit, comprising:

a base unit;

at least one elongate upstanding post including a lower end engaging said base unit so that said post extends generally vertically and further including an upper end having a laterally extending bracket;

an overhead modular unit including a lower portion engaging said at least one laterally extending bracket;

leveling means located on said laterally extending bracket for adjusting for spacial orientation of said overhead modular unit so that said overhead modular unit is generally level relative to a horizontal plane, said leveling means including a pair of leveling screws threadedly mounted in said laterally extending bracket in a generally vertical orientation, and being spaced apart, said leveling screws including free upper ends protruding through said laterally extending bracket and abuttingly supporting at least a portion of said overhead modular unit; and

attachment means for securely attaching said overhead modular unit to said at least one elongate upstanding post, whereby said overhead modular unit can be placed on said upstanding post, leveled, and secured to same without manipulating said upstanding post on the modular furniture unit.

7. A modular furniture unit as set forth in claim 6 wherein said base unit includes a worksurface panel with a rear portion, and said post attaches to said rear portion with said laterally extending bracket overhanging said worksurface panel.

8. A modular furniture system for leveling and securing an overhead unit to a modular furniture base unit, comprising:

a pair of elongate posts each including a lower end adapted to securely engage the base unit, and further including an upper and including a laterally extending bracket with a vertical wall and a horizontal wall, said horizontal wall adapted to be positioned below and support the overhead unit, said horizontal wall including a forward portion and a rearward portion; and

leveling means located on said horizontal wall for adjusting the spacial position of the overhead unit relative to said upper end so that the overhead unit can be positioned in a leveled condition in-line with adjacent overhead units, said leveling means including separately adjustable first and second lift devices, said first device located on said forward portion and said second device located on said rearward portion of said horizontal wall for adjusting the position of said overhead unit, whereby said modular unit can be adjusted to the leveled condition without manually lifting and supporting the overhead modular unit in the leveled condition, said vertical wall including one or more apertures receiving attachment screw elements to secure the overhead unit to said laterally extending bracket in the leveled condition.

9. A modular furniture system for leveling and securing an overhead unit to a modular furniture base unit, comprising:

a pair of elongate posts each including a lower end adapted to securely engage the base unit, and further including an upper end including a laterally extending bracket with a vertical wall and a horizontal wall, said horizontal wall adapted to be positioned below and support the overhead unit; and

leveling means located on said horizontal wall for horizontally leveling and vertically adjusting the overhead unit relative to said upper end thus allowing the overhead unit to be both horizontally leveled and vertically adjusted to be in-line with adjacent overhead units, said vertical wall including one or more apertures receiving attachment screw elements to secure the overhead units to said laterally extending bracket in the leveled condition, said leveling means including a pair of leveling screws threadedly mounted in said laterally extending bracket in a generally vertical orientation and being spaced apart, said leveling screws including free upper ends protruding through said laterally extending bracket and abuttingly supporting at least a portion of said overhead modular unit.

10. A modular furniture system as set forth in claim 9 wherein the base unit includes a worksurface panel with a rear portion, and said post is adapted to attach to the rear portion with said laterally extending bracket overhanging the worksurface panel.

11. A modular furniture arrangement, comprising:

at least one worksurface panel;

at least one back panel;

at least two supports connected with said worksurface panel and said back panel to form a modular, freestanding furniture unit supported by said supports on a floor surface;

at least one overhead unit;

at least two rigid posts having lower ends adapted for connection with at least one of said supports and with said back panel and upper ends adapted for connection with said overhead unit, said upper ends each including a forward portion and a rearward portion;

at least two mounting apertures disposed through said worksurface panel adjacent opposite rear corners thereof;

each of said mounting apertures being shaped to receive an associated one of said post lower ends therethrough;

means for detachably and rigidly connecting the lower ends of said posts with said at least one of said supports and with said back panel in a manner such that said posts extend upwardly from said furniture unit in a generally vertical orientation;

means for rigidly connecting the upper ends of said posts with said overhead unit; and

means located on the upper ends of said two rigid posts for leveling said overhead unit, said means for leveling including separately adjustable first and second lift devices, said first device located on said forward portions and said second device located on said rearward portion for adjusting the position of said overhead modular unit relative to said upper ends of said posts, whereby to mount said overhead unit on said furniture unit, said posts are inserted through said mounting apertures, the lower ends of said posts are securely fastened to said at least one of said supports and to said back panel, said overhead unit is leveled on the upper ends of said posts, and the upper ends of said posts are securely fastened to said overhead unit.

12. A modular furniture arrangement as set forth in claim 11 wherein said upper ends of said posts each include laterally extending brackets and wherein said lift devices are a pair of leveling screws threadedly mounted in said laterally extend bracket in a generally vertical orientation, and being spaced apart, said leveling screws including free upper ends protruding through said laterally extending bracket and abuttingly supporting at least a portion of said overhead modular unit.

13. A modular furniture arrangement, comprising:

at least one worksurface panel;

at least one back panel;

at least two supports connected with said worksurface panel and said back panel to form a modular, freestanding furniture unit supported by said supports on a floor surface;

at least one overhead unit;

at least two rigid posts, having lower ends for connection with at least one of said supports and said back panel, and upper ends for connection with said overhead unit;

at least two mounting apertures disposed through said worksurface panel adjacent opposite rear corners thereof;

each of said mounting apertures being shaped to receive an associated one of said posts therethrough;

means for detachably and rigidly connecting the lower ends of said posts with said one said supports and said back panel in a manner such that said posts extend upwardly from said furniture unit in a generally vertical orientation;

means for rigidly connecting the upper ends of said posts with said overhead unit; and

means located on the upper ends of said two rigid posts for leveling said overhead unit;

wherein said upper ends of said posts each include laterally extending brackets and said leveling means includes a pair of leveling screws threadedly mounted in said laterally extending bracket in a generally vertical orientation, and said leveling screws being spaced apart, said leveling screws including free upper ends protruding through said laterally extending bracket and abuttingly supporting at least a portion of said overhead modular unit; and

said means for rigidly connecting including a pair of attachment screws extending through said laterally extending bracket into engagement with said overhead modular unit to securely interconnect said bracket and said modular unit.

14. A modular furniture unit as set forth in claim 13 wherein said upper ends of said at least two rigid posts each include a horizontal wall positioned below said overhead unit which includes said means for leveling, and said two rigid posts further each include a vertical wall including means for securely attaching said overhead unit to said two rigid posts.

15. In a furniture arrangement of the type having at least one freestanding furniture unit, and at least one overhead unit, the improvement of an overhead support and leveling system therefor, comprising:

at least one rigid support post shaped to support said overhead unit directly over said furniture unit at a selected vertical height and at a selected horizontal angle;

said support post having a lower end thereof with means for securely mounting said support post on said furniture unit such that said support post extends upwardly therefrom in a generally vertical orientation, said support post also having an upper end with an adjustment bracket shaped to support said overhead unit in a generally horizontal orientation;

first and second adjustment screws threadedly mounted in said adjustment bracket in a generally vertical orientation, said first and second adjustment screws being spaced apart, said adjustment screws each having free upper ends protruding through said adjustment bracket and abuttingly supporting at least a portion of said overhead unit, whereby axial manipulation of said adjustment screws varies both the horizontal angle and the vertical height of said overhead unit with respect to said furniture unit to permit accurate alignment with adjacent overhead units.