Desking system

• US 5,428,928 A
• Filed: 06/21/1994
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Teknion Furniture Systems Limited
• Original Assignee: Teknion Furniture Systems Limited
• Inventors: Stevenson, David M., Hellwig, John, Marangoni, Lorie
• Primary Examiner(s): Friedman, Carl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yip, Winnie S.
• Application Number:
  US08/263,418
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 52/36.1, 52/36.4, 52/36.5, 52/36.6, 52/239, 248/188.5, 248/411, 248/412, 108/50, 108/48, 108/42, 108/147
• US Class Current: 52/239
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 13/003 Connecting table tops to underframes connecting furniture tubing to non-tubular parts F16B12/42
• 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 2200/0013 Desks with central bearing beams
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0027 Desks with I-shaped leg
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/01 Office wall with desktop function
• 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 2/7401 assembled using panels without a frame or supporting posts, with or without upper or lower edge locating rails
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2/7416 with free upper edge, e.g. for use as office space dividers
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2002/7483 Details of furniture, e.g. tables or shelves, associated with the partitions

Abstract

The present invention relates to a combined desking and panelling system which provides an effective means for subdividing office space and defining work areas. Work surfaces are provided and can be independently supported or supported by the panelling system. Power and communication wires and cables are distributed through and between the desking and panelling systems.

Claims

1. A system for subdividing office space into a plurality of work stations, said system comprising mechanically secured office panels with at least some of said office panels supporting work surfaces to at least one side of said office panels, and some of said work stations being defined by a desking arrangement having work surfaces supported independent of said office panels;

characterised in that said office panels each include a rigid rectangular frame with at least one intermediate horizontal securing channel extending across said panel and forming a securing structure running the length of the panel and accessible between removable functional cover elements of said office panels at a multiplicity of locations distributed along said securing channel;

said horizontal securing channels cooperating with and supporting to one side of said panels vertical support members of at least some of said work surfaces supported from said panels, each vertical support member including a projecting member extending into and being restricted by the cooperating horizontal securing channel it engages at any of said multiplicity of locations therealong; and

wherein at least one of said work stations is defined by work surfaces supported by the combined office panels and said desking arrangement where the work surfaces thereof are joined at a transition position intermediate the length of a panel where one end of a work surface adjacent said transition position is supported from one of said panels intermediate the length of the supporting panel;

said office panels and said desking arrangement cooperating such that transition positions can occur at any of said multiplicity of locations of said securing channel of said one panel, which locations are intermediate the length of a panel.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least some of said work surfaces can be interchangeably supported by said desking arrangement or said panels.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 including a supply of interchangeable work surfaces with some of said work surfaces having transitional segments of forming an angle connection between work surface supported by said panels and work surfaces which are part of said desking arrangement, said supply of work surfaces allowing the work surface configuration to change by interchange of work surfaces.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said work surfaces include a plurality of transition work surfaces, each transition work surface having opposed offset end configurations to define said transition position in a longitudinal axis of the work surface formed between two adjacent work surfaces one supported from said office panels and one supported from said desking arrangement.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein each frame includes two vertically spaced securing channels and each of said vertical support members engage said channels.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said work surfaces are maintained in engagement with support means of said panels and support means of said desking system by a spring detente arrangement and are releasable from said spring detente arrangement by applying an upward force on said work surfaces.

7. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said transition position is part of one of the work surfaces of said desking arrangement or said panels.

8. A system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said transition work surfaces each include a transition segment at one end of the work surface and said transition segment is at least primarily supported in a cantilevered manner by said office panels.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said transition work surfaces define a transitions selected from the group of 15°

, 30°

, 45°

, 60°

, 90°

, 120°

, 135°

, 150°

, and 180°

.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein electrical power and or communication feeds are interconnected and pass between the panels and the desking arrangement.

11. In a system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said work surfaces are removable in segments, some of which terminate at a position intermediate the length of a panel, without detachment from adjacent segments.

12. In a system as described in claim 1 including floor plates which engage legs of said desking systems at a transition position between work surfaces thereof disposed in a particular angular orientation to maintain said particular angular orientation therebetween.