Linkable modular table

• US 5,606,920 A
• Filed: 06/08/1995
• Issued: 03/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Haworth Incorporated
• Inventors: Heron, Stephen, Lyons, David F., Fraquelli, Roberto G., Davies, Jorge Q., Meyer, Kevin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Jose V.
• Application Number:
  US08/488,491
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 108/50, 108/23, 108/64, 312/223.6, 312/223.1, 312/194, 312/195, 312/196, 240/108.1
• US Class Current: 108/50.02
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 17/00 Writing-tables
• 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 2200/0026 Desks with C-shaped leg
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2200/0028 Attachment of desk lateral uprights
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 87/002 Combination of tables; Linking or assembling means therefor

Abstract

A table having a horizontally enlarged worksurface, and a pair of leg assemblies fixed to the worksurface directly at the opposite end edges thereof and projecting downwardly for engagement with a floor. Each leg assembly includes an upright leg member disposed directly at the rear corner of the worksurface, and at its lower end this leg is fixed to a horizontally elongate foot which projects forwardly for engagement with the floor. The leg adjacent its upper end has a support bracket which projects forwardly directly under and fixedly secured to the worksurface in close proximity to the end edge thereof. The outer side surfaces of the leg and base are preferably vertically flat and substantially vertically coplanar, and are also substantially vertically coplanar with the end edge of the table. A cable-accommodating trough is fixed to and extends horizontally between the legs in downwardly spaced relation from the rear edge of the worksurface. This trough defines two separate channels for permitting separation of telecommunication and power cables. The trough projects a small distance beyond the rear edge of the worksurface and legs to facilitate feeding of cables from the worksurface downwardly past the rear edge thereof to the trough, and the feeding of cables directly between aligned troughs of linking tables by passing the cables directly behind the legs.

Claims

1. In a freestanding C-leg table having a horizontally enlarged worksurface defining thereon an enlarged and planar upper surface, said worksurface defining thereon a pair of end edges, and a pair of leg assemblies fixed to said worksurface and projecting downwardly therefrom for supportive engagement with a floor, each leg assembly being fixed to the worksurface and projecting downwardly in adjacent relationship to one of the end edges thereof, said leg assembly including a vertically upright leg which is positioned adjacent a rear corner of the worksurface and projects vertically downwardly and at its lower end is fixed to a horizontally elongate foot which projects forwardly and is adapted for supportive engagement with the floor, comprising the improvement wherein said worksurface has a cutout which opens inwardly from each of the respective end edges in the vicinity of the respective rear corner of the worksurface and extends vertically upwardly through the worksurface, said leg having an upper portion which is positioned within and projects vertically through said cutout so that the leg has an upper end which is disposed at or above the upper surface of said worksurface, said leg having a configuration which corresponds generally to the contour of the cutout so as to snugly fit therein, said leg having an outer side surface which defines a flat vertically-extending plane which is substantially vertically coplanar with the respective end edge of the worksurface, and said foot having an outer vertically-flat side surface which is substantially vertically coplanar with the respective end edge of the worksurface.

2. A table according to claim 1, wherein said leg has an inner side surface which is of a generally rounded convex configuration which horizontally terminates at front and rear edges which join with said flat outer side surface.

3. A table according to claim 1, wherein said leg has front and rear parts which are rigidly joined and project vertically throughout the length thereof, said front part being a hollow tube having a continuous surrounding side wall, and said rear part being of channel-shaped cross section defining therein a vertically elongate channel which opens inwardly, and a removable cover for closing off said channel.

4. A table according to claim 3, including a cable trough extending horizontally between and fixed to the upright legs positioned adjacent opposite end edges of the table, the cable trough defining therein first and second horizontally-extending cable-accommodating channels which are separate from one another and extend longitudinally between said legs, said cable trough being disposed at an elevation approximately midway between the worksurface and the floor, the cable trough being positioned substantially directly vertically under a horizontally extending rear edge of the worksurface so that the cable trough projects horizontally rearwardly and forwardly relative to said rear edge.

5. A table according to claim 4, wherein said upright legs have a rear wall which is substantially aligned with the rear edge of the worksurface.

6. A table according to claim 4, wherein one of the horizontal channels is disposed generally vertically over the other said channel, said one channel having an opening closed by a removable cover extending lengthwise of the trough, and said other channel being accessible through an opening which extends longitudinally of the trough and opens through a front wall thereof.

7. A table to according to claim 4, wherein each of said first and second horizontal channels of said cable trough are disposed substantially vertically directly one over the other and each includes a front portion which at the opposite ends thereof opens directly into the vertical channels of the respective legs, each of said horizontal cable channels also including a rear portion which at opposite ends open longitudinally directly behind the respective upright legs so as to permit free passage of cables therebehind.

8. The table of claim 1, wherein each leg assembly includes a horizontally elongated top arm which is disposed directly under and in supportive engagement with the underside of the worksurface adjacent a respective end edge thereof, and a height-adjustable joint structure joining a rearward end of said top arm to the respective upright leg for permitting the arm and the worksurface supported thereon to be vertically incrementally adjusted relative to the floor, said joint structure including a vertically elongated and horizontally sidewardly projecting flange fixed to said top arm and projecting sidewardly into a vertically elongate slot formed in the respective upright leg, said leg having walls defining said slot, said walls and said upright flange having openings which cooperate for alignment and which receive a removable securing pin therein.

20. The table according to claim 1, wherein each said leg assembly further includes an upper leg engaging said upper portion of said upright leg, said upper leg having the same cross-section configuration as said upright leg so as to cooperate and define a continuous leg throughout the vertical length thereof, and further comprising an overhead storage unit extending horizontally between and being fixedly mounted to said upper legs adjacent upper ends thereof.

9. In a freestanding table having a horizontally enlarged platelike worksurface defining thereon a generally horizontally extending and enlarged upper surface, and a pair of leg assemblies fixed to and projecting downwardly from said worksurface adjacent opposite end edges thereof for supportive engagement with a floor, each leg assembly including a rigid upright leg member extending vertically and having an upper part thereof fixed to said worksurface in the vicinity of a rear corner thereof, and a horizontally elongated support foot fixed to a lower end of said leg member and projecting horizontally forwardly therefrom in supportive engagement with the floor, and a horizontally elongate cable trough extending longitudinally of the table, comprising the improvement wherein said cable trough is fixed to and extends horizontally between said upright leg members at an elevation about midway between the worksurface and the floor, said cable trough being disposed substantially directly vertically under a rear horizontally extending edge of said worksurface and including an elongate trough member defining therein first and second longitudinally extending cable-accommodating channels which are disposed substantially vertically directly one above the other, said trough member and said first and second channels being defined at least in part by a rear longitudinally extending wall member which defines a rear side of each of said first and second channels and is disposed horizontally rearwardly at least a minimal distance from a rear vertical plane containing the rear edge of the worksurface, and said upright leg members having rear vertically projecting edges which do not project rearwardly of said rear vertical plane, said first and second channels at opposite ends of said trough member opening longitudinally outwardly directly adjacent but rearwardly of the upright leg members for permitting passage of cables through said channels and thence past the rear of said leg members.

10. A table according to claim 9, wherein said trough member has an upwardly directed and horizontally elongate upper opening which opens downwardly into said first channel over the elongated length thereof for permitting laying in of cables, a removable cover being removably engaged with said trough member for closing off said upper opening of said first channel, and said trough member having an elongate slotlike front opening extending longitudinally thereof and opening solely into said second channel from the front side thereof.

11. A table according to claim 9, wherein said upright leg member includes a front tubular part and a rear channel part which are rigidly and integrally joined and project vertically longitudinally of the leg member, said rear channel part defining therein a vertically elongate channel-like space which is accessible through an open side of the channel member which faces inwardly toward the upright leg member disposed at the opposite end of the table, said trough member extending between and being rigidly joined to the rear channel parts of said upright leg members so that said first and second channels of said trough member directly communicate with the vertically extending channel-like spaces in said upright leg members.

12. A table according to claim 11, including upper and lower removable covers engaged with the rear channel part of each upright leg member respectively above and below the trough member for closing off the open side of the channel-like space, whereby power and/or telecommunication cables can extend vertically of said channel-like space and thence horizontally into said first and second channels.

13. A table according to claim 11, wherein at least the front tubular part of said upright leg member has an outer side surface which is flat and disposed within a vertical plane which is substantially coplanar with the respectively adjacent end edge of the worksurface, the respective foot also having an outer side surface which is flat and disposed within substantially the same vertical plane as the flat side surface on said leg member, whereby two tables can be disposed in substantially abutting end edge-to-end edge relationship so that the legs and feet of the adjacent tables substantially abuttingly contact at the directly opposed flat outer side surfaces thereof.

14. A table according to claim 13, including upper and lower removable covers engaged with the rear channel part of each upright leg member respectively above and below the trough member for closing off the open side of the channel-like space, whereby power and/or telecommunication cables can extend vertically of said channel-like space and thence horizontally into said first and second channels.

15. A table according to claim 11, wherein said trough member has an upwardly directed and horizontally elongate upper opening which opens downwardly into said first channel over the elongated length thereof for permitting laying in of cables, a removable cover being removably engaged with said trough member for closing off said upper opening of said first channel, and said trough member having an elongate slotlike front opening extending longitudinally thereof and opening solely into said second channel from the front side thereof.

18. The table according to claim 9, wherein each said leg assembly further includes an upper leg member engaging said upper portion of said upright leg member, said upper leg member having the same cross-section configuration as said upright leg member so as to cooperate and define a continuous leg member throughout the vertical length thereof, and further comprising an overhead storage unit extending horizontally between and being fixedly mounted to said upper leg members adjacent upper ends thereof.

19. The table according to claim 9, wherein each leg assembly includes a horizontally elongated top arm which is disposed directly under and in supportive engagement with the underside of the worksurface adjacent the end edges thereof, and a height-adjustable joint structure joining a rearward end of said top arm to the respective upright leg member for permitting the arm and the worksurface supported thereon to be vertically incrementally adjusted relative to the floor, said joint structure including a vertically elongated and horizontally sidewardly projecting flange fixed to said top arm and projecting sidewardly into a vertically elongate slot formed in the respective upright leg member, said leg member having walls defining said slot, said walls and said upright flange having openings which cooperate for alignment and receiving a removable securing pin therein.

16. In a freestanding workstation having a horizontally enlarged worksurface supported in upwardly spaced relation from a floor by upright base legs, and an overhead storage unit positioned in upwardly spaced relation over said worksurface and supported therefrom by intermediate legs, said base and intermediate legs being disposed adjacent opposite end edges of the worksurface, comprising the improvement wherein each of said base legs comprises an upright lower leg member fixed to a horizontally projecting support foot at a lower end thereof and projecting upwardly and terminating in an upper end which is disposed at an elevation equal to or above an upper surface of said worksurface, and said intermediate leg comprising a vertically elongate upper leg member which has a lower end thereof seated on and fixedly secured to said lower leg member and projecting upwardly therefrom in aligned relation therewith, said upper and lower leg members having the same cross-sectional configuration so as to cooperate and effectively define a continuous leg member throughout the vertical length thereof, and said overhead storage unit extending horizontally between and being fixedly mounted to said upper leg members adjacent upper ends thereof, the lower leg member projecting upwardly through a cutout formed in an end edge of the worksurface, the lower leg member also having an outer flat side surface which is substantially vertically coplanar with the end edge of the worksurface, and said upper leg member also having an outer flat side surface which is coplanar with the outer flat side surface of the lower leg member to effectively define a vertical extension thereof.

17. A workstation according to claim 16, wherein a mounting bracket is secured to each end of the storage unit and includes a vertically elongate mounting flange which projects horizontally into a vertically elongate slot formed in the upper leg member, said mounting flange and said slot having a series of alignable openings therethrough, and a connecting pin removably positioned through a pair of aligned openings for fixedly securing said storage unit in one of a plurality of different height positions.