Free standing modular furniture and wall system

• US 5,394,658 A
• Filed: 07/28/1992
• Issued: 03/07/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Herman Miller Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Charles P. Schreiner, Travis M. Randolph
• Inventors: Randolph, Travis M., Schreiner, Charles P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Lanna
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US07/921,314
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 52/36, 52/220, 52/221, 52/239, 52/241, 52/36.1, 52/36.2, 52/36.4, 52/36.5, 160/135, 160/351, 160/230, 312/223.6, 312/194, 312/196, 108/50
• US Class Current: 52/36.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2021/066 with power or communication connection interface
• 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 2200/01 Office wall with desktop function
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2220/0077 Lighting for furniture, e.g. cupboards and racks
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 83/001 Office desks or work-stations combined with other pieces of furniture, e.g. work space management systems
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7422 with separate framed panels without intermediary support posts
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7424 Glazing details
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7435 Glazing details
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7418 Accessories supported on the free upper edge, e.g. auxiliary panels, noise abatement devices
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7483 Details of furniture, e.g. tables or shelves, associated with the partitions
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7488 Details of wiring
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/749 Partitions with screw-type jacks
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 33/0012 Furniture hospital beds F21V33/0072

Abstract

An integral room divider panel and freestanding desk system comprises a base wall formed of interconnected modular base wall panels of uniform height and width and a freestanding desk unit that integrates into the base wall. The desk unit includes a work surface supported at side edges by vertical support members, with a back panel extending across the back of the desk. The desk back panel is formed of modules of the same height and width as the base wall panels and have the same appearance as base wall panels, so the back of the desk can comprise a section of the base wall. The top of the desk is recessed from the vertical support members and back panel so that the modular upper wall panels can be mounted on the back panel and vertical support members, as well as on the base wall panels, to selectively increase the height of the wall panel system and the peripheral enclosure for the desk. A transverse support beam with an open interior is mounted under the work surface, and hollow inclined frame members attach the support beam to the vertical support members, providing wiring access to the desk top. A separate wall and post and beam archistructure system complements the desk and panel system.

Claims

1. A room divider panel system including at least one modular room divider panel wall and at least one free standing desk that forms an integral part of the room divider panel wall, wherein:

the room divider panel wall includes a plurality of interconnected room divider base wall panels formed in individual panel modules of uniform height and width, the base wall panels forming a base wall that extends upwardly to approximately the height of a desk, the base wall panels having interior peripheral frames that are connected together edge to edge, decorative exterior surface covers fitting on and covering the frames so as to form a continuous base wall structure;

the free standing desk comprises a work surface is mounted on vertical support members at side edges of the work surface, the vertical support members being same height as the base wall panels and being a depth that is an even multiple of the width of the base wall panel modules, the desk including a back panel that extends across the back of the desk between the vertical support members, the back panel being formed from a plurality of back panel sections having the same height and width as the base wall panel modules, with the back panel sections being formed of interconnected frames and exterior surface covers having the same shape and exterior appearance as the base wall panel modules, the rear and side edges of the work surface being spaced inwardly of the outer edges of the vertical support members and desk back panel such that upper panels as thick as the desk back panels can be mounted on the tops of the vertical support members and desk back panels.

2. A room divider panel system according to claim 1 wherein one or more vertical support members is a pedestal incorporating a drawer unit.

3. A room divider system according to claim 1 and further comprising upper wall panels mounted on at least some of the base wall or desk back panels or the vertical support members, the upper wall panels including a plurality of upper wall panel sections that are of the same width as the base wall panels and extending upwardly to form a higher panel than the base wall panels, the upper wall panels having exterior covers that have the same general appearance as the exterior appearance of the base wall panels.

4. A room divider system according to claim 1 and further comprising a screening panel removably mounted on the top of the desk back panel and extending upwardly therefrom to serve as a visual screen for the rear of the desk, the screening panel extending the width of the desk and being the thickness of the back panel, the screening panel being formed of a light weight, non-load bearing material such that it cannot serve as a support wall for cantilever-mounted accessories.

5. A room divider system according to claim 1 wherein lower edges of the room divider panel walls, vertical support members, and desk back panels extend downwardly all the way to the floor, such that they have the appearance of floor-mounted walls.

6. A free standing desk comprising:

a work surface having a straight rear edge and opposite side edges perpendicular to the rear edge;

a transverse metal support beam mounted on the underside of the work surface, the support beam being in the form of an open topped tray providing space for housing electrical components and wiring, the support beam having openings in a bottom thereof at one or more ends of the tray;

cross braces at the ends of the support beam, each cross brace being connected at a horizontal upper side to an underside of the support beam and extending downwardly and outwardly therefrom at an inclined angle, each cross brace being connected at a vertical outer side thereof to a vertical inner side of a pedestal, each cross brace having an opening extending therethrough from the vertical outer side to the horizontal upper side, with the opening in the upper side mating with the opening in the bottom of the support beam, the cross braces suspending the work surface above the tops of the pedestals while providing wiring passageways from the pedestals to the interior of the support beam.

7. A freestanding desk according to claim 6 wherein wiring terminals for the wiring are mounted in the open interior of the support beam, and the work surface includes an opening therein that provides access to the wiring terminals.

8. A room divider panel system including at least one modular room divider panel wall and at least one free standing desk that forms an integral part of the room divider panel wall, wherein:

the room divider panel wall includes a plurality of interconnected room divider base wall panels formed in individual panel modules of uniform height and width, the base wall panels forming a half wall that extends upwardly to approximately the height of a desk, the base wall panels having interior peripheral frames that are connected together edge to edge, decorative exterior surface covers removably fitting on and covering the frames so as to form a continuous half wall structure;

the free standing desk is a pedestal desk wherein a rectangular work surface having front, rear, and side edges is mounted on pedestal type vertical support columns at least partially under side edges of the work surface, the pedestals being the same height as the base wall panels and being a depth from the front to the back of the desk that is an even multiple of the width of the base wall panel modules, the desk including a back panel that extends across the back of the desk between the pedestals, the back panel being formed from a plurality of back panel sections having the same height and width as the base wall panel modules, with the back panel sections being formed of interconnected frames and exterior surface covers having the same shape and exterior appearance as the base wall panel modules, the width of the desk, including the pedestals, being an even multiple of the width of the base panel modules, such that the desk can be used by itself as a stand alone desk or it can be incorporated into a room divider system where the pedestal and back panel of the desk serve as an integral part of the half wall structure;

a transverse support beam being mounted on the underside of the work surface and extending from side to side, the beam having a recessed open interior that provides a wiring receptacle under the work surface;

the work surface being mounted at each end to a pedestal as a floating desk top by means of cross braces, each cross brace comprising a hollow inclined frame member attached to the underside of the support beam and extending downwardly and outwardly and is connected to an inner side of the pedestal, the hollow frame member including openings at each end that provide communication between the open interior of the support beam and an open interior of the pedestal, such that wiring can be routed to the work surface upwardly through the interior of the pedestal, through the hollow frame member and into the open interior support beam, the work surface having access means for accessing wiring in the open interior of the support beam from the top of the work surface.

9. A room divider system according to claim 8 wherein wiring terminals for the wiring are mounted in the open interior of the support beam, and the work surface access means includes an opening therein in the work surface that provides access to the wiring terminals.