Detachably interconnected work tables using panel sections of various geometric shapes

• US 5,339,747 A
• Filed: 07/27/1992
• Issued: 08/23/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alan L. Epps
• Original Assignee: Alan L. Epps
• Inventors: Epps, Alan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crowder, Clifford D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Izaguirre, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US07/919,230
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 108/63, 108/59, 108/64, 108/111, 108/114, 108/185, 312/107, 312/107.5, 312/111, 248/188, 248/188.8, 248/432, 248/440, 211/187, 211/207
• US Class Current: 108/64
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/021 Fastening devices of the feet or legs A47B13/023 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/10 Tops characterised by shape, other than circular or rectangular
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2037/005 Tables specially adapted for laboratories
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 21/00 Tables or desks for office equipment, e.g. typewriters, keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/002 Combination of tables; Linking or assembling means therefor

Abstract

A free standing modular office furniture system that includes geometrically shaped panels each of which is right angular, and has a minimum of three corners that are either 90°, 45°, or 135°, a right angle triangular leg assembly and connecting plates. Selected corners of the panels have a recess that is a right angle isosceles triangle that receives a plate which is connected to the leg by a bolt extending through the leg. The leg is a two-part aluminum extrusion and selected plates have two, three or four times the surface area of a recess and fit into that many recesses which also corresponds to the number of panels in abutting edge relation. The selected plates overlap the panels joining the same together as they are clampingly engaged between such plate and the leg associated therewith.

Claims

1. A table assembly comprising:

(a) a plurality of support legs;

(b) at least two right angular panel sections each having at least three corners, planar upper and lower main panel faces and panel edge sidewalls the latter of which intersect at 45°

, 90°

or 135°

corners;

(c) recesses in at least said upper faces which extend inwardly from selected ones of said 90°

corners, each recess being in the shape of a right angle isosceles triangle; and

(d) means to join said panel sections together with selected sidewalls thereof in abutting relation and the upper panel faces aligned so as to provide a continuous table top surface extending from one said panel section to the other, said joining means comprising a flat connector plate in each of the recesses and adjacent adjoining recesses in the upper faces of said abutting panel sections, each said connector plate corresponding in shape to the recess associated therewith and overlapping abutting panels having adjoining recesses and bolt means connecting the support legs to a respective one of said connector plates associated therewith and clamping the panels associated therewith therebetween.

2. A table assembly comprising:

(a) a plurality of support legs;

(b) at least two right angular panel sections each having at least three corners, planar upper and lower main panel faces and panel edge sidewalls the latter of which intersect at 45°

, 90°

or 135°

corners;

(c) recesses in at least said upper faces which extends inwardly from selected ones of said 90°

corners, each recess being in the shape of a right angle isosceles triangle; and

(d) means to join said panel sections together with selected sidewalls thereof in abutting relation and the upper panel faces aligned so as to provide a continuous table top surface extending from one said panel section to the other, said joining means comprising a flat connector plate in each of the recesses and adjacent adjoining recesses in the upper faces of said abutting panel sections, each said connector plate corresponding in shape to the recess associated therewith and overlapping abutting panels having adjoining recesses and bolt means connecting the support legs to a respective one of said connector plates associated therewith and clamping the panels associated therewith therebetween and wherein each said leg support comprises at least two side by side tubular rigid sections each, in cross section, being right triangular and the two together in cross-section corresponding in size to the surface area of a single recess in a face of the panel.

3. A table assembly as defined in claim 2 including a first channel in at least selected edges of said panel sections, connecting strips in said channels and located so as to bridge adjacent panel sections and means connecting said strips to said panel sections and decorative strip means in said channels obscuring from view exposed ones of said bridging strips.

5. The table assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein an aperture extends through the panel at a position centrally of each recess therein and wherein said connector plates include apertures extending therethrough alignable with an aperture in the panel when fitted into the recess therein.

6. The table assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the surface of each said connector plate is in the shape of a right angle triangle and has a single aperture centrally thereof, said plate having a surface area corresponding to that of a single recess in the face of the panel.

7. The table assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the surface of each said connector plate is in the shape of a right angle triangle and has two spaced apart apertures extending therethrough and wherein the surface area is twice that of a single recess in the panels.

8. The table assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein said connector plates are square having four times the surface area of each said panel recess.

4. A table assembly comprising:

(a) a plurality of support legs;

(b) at least two right angular panel sections each having at least three corners, planar upper and lower main panel faces and panel edge sidewalls the latter of which intersect at 45°

, 90°

or 135°

corners;

(c) recesses in at least said upper faces which extend inwardly from selected ones of said 90 °

corners, each recess being in the shape of a right angle isosceles triangle; and

(d) means to join said panel sections together with selected sidewalls thereof in abutting relation and the upper panel faces aligned so as to provide a continuous table top surface extending from one said panel section to the other, said joining means comprising a flat connector plate in each of the recesses and adjacent adjoining recesses in the upper faces of said abutting panel sections, each said connector plate corresponding in shape to the recess associated therewith and overlapping abutting panels having adjoining recesses and blot means connecting the support legs to a respective one of said connector plates associated therewith and clamping the panels associated therewith therebetween and including a recess in said lower panel faces at selected corners of the panel sections, said recesses in said upper and lower faces being aligned in overlying relation relative to one another.

9. A table assembly as defined in claim 4 including a rigid strip of material extending along each edge of each of said panel sections, said strips of material each having a first channel in an edge face thereof and a second channel, narrower in width than said first channel and in the base thereof.

10. A table assembly comprising:

(a) two or more panel sections disposed in edge to edge abutting relation proving a table top work surface that extends from one panel section to the other, each said panel section being right angular and having at least three corners each selected from an angle of 45°

, 90°

, and 135°

, an upper face, a lower face and outer edge walls;

(b) a plurality of vertically disposed legs supporting said panel sections and disposed under selected ones of the right angular corners of the panel sections;

(c) means connecting said legs to said panel sections to support the panels and including means joining said panels together in edge to edge relation comprising;

(i) recesses in the upper face and located at said selected right angular corners of the respective panel sections, each said recess being in the shape of a right angle isosceles triangle of selected size;

(ii) a connector plate in a respective one of each said recesses and corresponding in size and shape to that of the recess or adjoining recesses associated therewith; and

(iii) bolt means connecting a respective one of said plates to a respective one of said legs and clamping the panel sections associated therewith therebetween adjacent ones of said adjoining recesses at said selected adjoining corners of said panels being of right angle isosceles triangular shape with a connector plate of corresponding shape and size fitting there into joining said panels together in alignment with one another.

11. A table assembly comprising:

(a) two or more panel sections each of which is right angular and having an upper planar surface, a lower planar surface, and at least three corners each selected from an angle of 45°

, 90° and

135°

;

(b) a plurality of support legs; and

(c) means connecting said legs to said panels to support the panels and including means joining said panels together in edge to edge relation;

said connecting means including;

(i) a recess in an upper face of the panel and extending inwardly from a selected 90°

corner thereof, said recess being in the shape of a right angle isosceles triangle;

(ii) a connector plate, having the same shape as said recess or group of adjacently disposed recesses; and

(iii) bolt means connecting said plate to a leg and clamping each panel section associated therewith therebetween, selected ones of said connector plates having a surface area that is two, three or four times that of each said recess and fitting into as many of the same as are disposed adjacent one another and thereby overlapping abutting panels.

12. A table assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein each leg comprises two, or a multiple of two rigid right triangular sections disposed side-by-side and each extending the length of the leg.

13. A table assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein each said leg section is a metal extrusion.

14. A table assembly as defined in claim 12 wherein each said leg section is a plastics material extrusion.

15. A table assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein at least selected edges of each of said panel sections have a channel therein extending longitudinally along the edge for receiving therein panel connecting strips.

16. A table assembly as defined in claim 15 wherein said channel is located in a separate elongate member and wherein such elongate member is securely attached to the panel.

17. A table assembly as defined in claim 16 wherein said separate elongate member is at least one of wood, metal and plastics material.

18. A table assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein each edge of each panel section has an extruded rigid strip extending longitudinally therealong and wherein each strip has a first channel along an outer face thereof for receiving a connecting strip and a second channel in the bottom of said first channel for receiving connecting strip anchor means.

19. A table assembly as defined in claim 18 including shoulder means, extending along outer opposite edges of said first channel, providing abutting means for a decorative concealing strip.

20. A table assembly as defined in claim 11 wherein selected ones of said bolt means has a post attached thereto that projects upwardly from the upper panel surface and provides means for mounting accessories thereon.

21. A table assembly as defined in claim 20, wherein selected ones of said upwardly projecting posts have at least one arm attached thereto and cantilevered therefrom, said cantilevered arms providing said means for mounting the accessories.

22. A table assembly as defined in claim 21, wherein each said post is a series of post elements in end to end relation and having said arms clampingly engaged between selected ones thereof.

23. A table assembly comprising:

(a) a plurality of support legs;

(b) at least two right angular panel sections each having at least three corners, planar upper and lower main panel faces and panel edge sidewalls the latter of which intersect at 45°

, 90°

or 135°

corners;

(c) recesses in at least said upper faces which extend inwardly from selected ones of said 90 °

corners, each recess being in the shape of a right angle isosceles triangle; and

(d) means to join said panel sections together with selected sidewalls thereof in abutting relation and the upper panel faces aligned so as to provide a continuous table top surface extending from one said panel section to the other, said joining means comprising a flat connector plate in each of the recesses and adjacent adjoining recesses in the upper faces of said abutting panel sections, each said connector plate corresponding in shape to the recess associated therewith and overlapping abutting panels having adjoining recesses and bolt means connecting the support legs to a respective one f said connector plates associated therewith and clamping the panels associated therewith therebetween and including a first channel in at least selected edges of said panel sections, connecting strips in said channels and located so as to bridge adjacent panel sections and means connecting said strips to said panel sections.

24. A table assembly comprising:

(a) at least two panel sections disposed in edge to edge abutting relation providing a table top work surface extending from one panel section to the other, each said panel section being right angular and having at least three corners, an upper face, a lower face and outer edge walls;

(b) a plurality of vertically disposed legs supporting said panel sections and disposed under selected ones of the right angular corners of the panel sections;

(c) means connecting said legs to said panel sections comprising;

(i) recesses of selected shape at selected corners of the respective panel sections;

(ii) a plate in a respective one of each said recesses and corresponding to the outline shapes thereof; and

(iii) means connecting a respective one of said plates to a respective one of said legs and clamping the panel sections associated therewith therebetween; and

(d) means joining said two panel sections together comprising adjacently disposed pairs of selected ones of said recesses at selected adjoining corners of said panels and a plate twice said recess selected size, said plate fitting into an adjoining pair of recesses in the adjoining panels and means anchoring said plate securely to retain said panels in alignment with one another and including a rigid strip of material extending along each edge of said panel sections, said strips of material each having a first channel in an edge face thereof and a second channel, narrower in width of said first channel and in the base thereof and wherein said rigid strip of material is an extruded metal or plastics material section.